LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 


Class 


/7f 


THE 


ECLECTIC  HISTORY 


OF  THE 


UNITED    STATES 


BY 


M.  E.  THALHEIMER 

Author  of  "A  Manual  of  Ancient  History,"  "A  Manual  of  Mediceval  and  Modern 
History,"  "An  Outline  of  General  History,"  "A  History  of  England,"  etc. 


VAN  ANTWERP,  BRAGG  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS 

CINCINNATI  AND  NEW  YORK 


THALHEIMER'S  HISTORICAL  SERIES. 


Eclectic  History  of  the  United  States.  'xb 

History  of  England. 

General  History. 

Ancient  History. 

Eastern  Empires  (separate). 

History  of  Greece  (separate). 

History  of  Rome  (separate). 

Medieval  and  Modern  History. 


COPYRIGHT, 

1881, 
BY  VAN  ANTWERP,  BRAGG  &  Co. 


PREFACE. 


THE  present  time  seems  eminently  fitting  for  a  new  recital 
of  the  facts  and  principles  of  American  History. 

Increased  attention  of  jurists  and  historians  has  been 
drawn  to  the  Federal  Constitution  by  the  events  of  the  last 
twenty  years,  and  its  features  have  been  more  thoroughly 
discussed  than  at  any  previous  time  since  its  adoption. 
Especially  Mr.  E.  A.  Freeman,  in  his  elaborate  "History 
of  Federal  Government,"  has  set  forth  the  true  relation  be 
tween  our  Constitution  and  those  of  the  ancient  common 
wealths.  It  seems  desirable  that  the  children  of  the  Repub 
lic  should  share,  as  far  as  may  be,  in  the  result  of  these  dis 
cussions. 

The  writer  has  endeavored  very  briefly,  but  with  clear 
ness,  to  indicate  the  state  of  affairs  in  Europe  from  which  the 
first  colonization  and  subsequent  reinforcement  of  our  nation 
proceeded,  to  mark  the  growth  of  institutions  from  the  de 
mands  of  new  circumstances,  and,  without  too  much  med 
dling  with  abstractions,  to  let  the  moral  lessons  in  which  our 
history  abounds  be  apparent  from  a  plain  recital  of  events. 
At  the  same  time  the  book  is  occupied  with  facts,  not  with 
arguments.  As  good  men  have  differed  from  the  beginning, 
so  they  will  doubtless  continue  to  differ  concerning  the  best 
policy  of  the  Government,  and  those  who  are  most  loyal  to 
their  own  convictions  are  not  necessarily  least  tolerant  of 
the  opinions  of  others. 

Respect  for  individual  rights  and  opinions,  and  a  generous 
confidence  in  every  man's  reason  and  capacity  for  self-control, 
have  been  distinguishing  features  of  American  society  almost 
from  its  beginning,  and  have  resulted  in  a  degree  of  personal 

(iii) 

111909 


PREFACE. 


freedom  unknown  under  older  governments.  Twenty  years 
ago  the  doubt  was  often  expressed  whether  this  great  experi 
ment  had  not  been  tried  too  soon; — whether  mankind  had 
yet  risen  high  enough  in  the  moral  scale  to  respect  the 
common  good  when  it  chanced  to  conflict  with  individual 
passion  or  convenience,  or  with  sectional  interests.  The  very 
existence  of  a  government  like  ours  must  depend  on  the 
moral  worth  of  its  people;  and  this,  it  was  felt,  had  not 
been  sufficiently  tested. 

Now  that  the  strength  of  the  Republic  has  been  proved  by 
storms  that  have  shaken  it  to  its  foundations,  it  is  regarded 
with  increased  confidence  at  home  and  respect  abroad,  and  the 
new  light  of  experience  that  has  been  thrown  upon  its  Consti 
tution  may  be  used  for  the  benefit  of  its  future  administrators. 

It  has  been  a  constant  effort  not  to  encumber  the  student's 
mind  with  a  mass  of  details,  but  to  sketch  events  with  a  few 
strokes  easily  remembered.  Paragraph  headings  in  heavier 
type  will  serve  as  topics  for  recitation,  and  the  teacher  is 
further  aided  by  Review  Questions  at  the  end  of  each  Part. 
A  series  of  questions  on  the  Constitution  will,  it  is  hoped, 
help  to  make  clearer  the  most  important  features  of  that 
document  and  thus  simplify  the  teacher's  task. 

The  Publishers  have  spared  neither  expense  nor  effort  in 
promoting  the  beauty  as  well  as  the  practical  usefulness  of 
the  book.  The  author's  thanks  are  due  to  Mr.  J.  T.  Stew 
art,  whose  intelligent  supervision  of  details  has  secured  so 
remarkable  a  degree  of  accuracy. 

The  maps  by  Mr.  Russell  Hinman,  C.  E.,  and  the  illus 
trations  by  Mr.  H.  F.  Farny,  leave  nothing  to  be  desired 
in  perfection  of  finish  and  adaptation  to  their  purpose. 

BROOKLYN,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  10,   1881. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I.— PREHISTORIC  AGES;  DISCOVERIES  AND  SETTLEMENTS. 

Chapter  Page 

1.  Ancient  America      ........  7 

2.  Physical  Features  and  Early  Inhabitants   .         . '        .         .  13 

3.  Discoveries  and  settlements  by  Europeans          ...  23 

4.  English  settlements—Virginia  .         .         .         .         .         .  35 

5.  Virginia  and  Maryland      .         ...         •         .         .         .  43 

6.  Plymouth,  Portsmouth,  and  Dover    .....  49 

7.  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  and  Rhode  Island           .         .  55 

8.  New  Netherlands, — The  Middle  States      ....  65 

9.  English  Revolutions, — The  Southern  Colonies  .         .         .  75 

PART  II. — GROWTH  OF  THE  COLONIES. 

10.  Parliamentary  Rule            .         .         .         .         .         .         .  85 

11.  French  Colonies        ........  91 

12.  Intercolonial  Wars   ........  97 

13.  Literature  and  General  Progress        .....  109 

PART  III. — WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 

14.  Causes  of  the  Revolution           .         .         .         .         .         .  123 

15.  Opening  Scenes  of  the  Revolution     ...         .         .  133 

16.  Events,  of  1776 143 

17.  Events  of  1777  and  1778           ......  151 

18.  Events  of  1779-1781          .......  161 

19.  End  of  the  War 169 

PART  IV. — GROWTH  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

20.  Adoption  of  the  Constitution    ......  181 

21.  First  and  Second  Administrations, — Geo.  Washington,  Pres.  189 

22.  Third  Administration, — John  Adams,  Pres.        .          .          .  199 

23.  Fourth  and  Fifth  Administrations, — Thos.  Jefferson,  Pres.  204 

24.  Sixth  Administration, — James  Madison,  Pres.    .         .         .  213 

25.  Seventh  Administration, — James  Madison,  Pres.        .         .  222 

26.  Eighth  and  Ninth  Administrations, — James  Monroe,  Pres.  229 

27.  Tenth  Administration, — John  Quincy  Adams,  Pres.            .  234 

28.  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Administrations, — Andrew  Jackson, 

Pres.      .         .         .         . 237 

29.  Thirteenth  Administration, — Martin  Van  Buren,  Pres.       .  243 

30.  Fourteenth  Administration, — William  H.  Harrison,  Pres.  247 

31.  Fifteenth  Administration, — James  K.  Polk,  Pres.       .          .  252 

(v) 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter 

32.     Sixteenth  Administration, — Zachary  Taylor,  Press. 

33- 

34- 


35- 
36. 
37- 
38. 
39- 
40. 

41. 


42. 
43- 


45- 


Seventeenth  Administration, — Franklin  Pierce,  Pres. 
Eighteenth  Administration, — James  Buchanan,  Pres. 


PART  V.— THE  CIVIL  WAR. 

Nineteenth  Administration, — Abraham  Lincoln,  Pres. 
Nineteenth  Administration, — Events  of  1862     . 
Nineteenth  Administration, — Events  of  1862   (Continued] 
Nineteenth  Administration, — Events  of  1863    .          .    '•-„ 
Nineteenth  Administration, — Events  of  1864    .          ... 

Twentieth  Administration, — Abraham    Lincoln,    Pres.,— 
Events  of  1865      .         .         .         .         ..-        .         .         .. 

Results  of  the  Civil  War  .         .       - .         . 

PART  VI. — THE  UNION  RESTORED. 

Johnson's  Administration  ...... 

Twenty-first  and  Twenty-second  Administrations, — Ulysses 

S.  Grant,  Pres 

Twenty-third  Administration, — Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  Pres. 
Progress  of  the  Republic  .  ;          . 

APPENDIX. 


260 
264 
268 


275 
283 
289 

295 
3°4 

3" 

316 


323 

329 
339 
346 


Transfers  of  Territory  in  the  United  States 
Synopsis  of  Twenty-four  Administrations 
The  Declaration  of  Independence 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  of  America 
General  Index        .          .          .          .          •          • 


Map  i. 
Map  2. 
Map  3. 
Map  4. 
Map  5. 
Map  6. 
Map  7. 
Map  8. 
Map  9. 


LIST  OF  MAPS. 

Routes  of  Discoverers 

North  America      .         .         . 

The  Colonies         .         . 

Revolutionary  War 

Lake  Champlain  and  Hudson  River 

War  of  1812          .... 

Mexican  War 

The  Civil  War       .... 

Growth  of  the   United  States 

LIST  OF  TABLES. 


Table  of  Human  Progress,     . 

Thirteen  English  Colonies 

English  Sovereigns  during  First  Colonial  Period    . 
English  Sovereigns  during  Second  Colonial  Period 


i 

iv 

viii 

xi 

xxii 


Between  Pages 
16  and     17 


32 

33 

64 

65 

128 

129 

144 

H5 

224 

225 

256 

257 

288 

289 

354 

i 

Page 

22 

82 
82 

120 


A  HISTORY 


OF 


THE  UNITED   STATES, 


CHAPTER  I. 

ANCIENT    AMERICA. 

i.  A  Lonely  Land.  —  Four  hundred  years  ago  the 
American  continent  was  unknown  to  the  civilized  world. 
A  few  tribes  of  dark-skinned  hunters  roamed  through  its 
forests;  a  few  villages  of  wigwams  dotted  the  fertile  banks 
of  its  rivers;  but  in  the  whole  area  east  of  the  Mississippi 
and  south  of  the  Great  Lakes,  there  were  probably  not 

(7) 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


An  Ancient  Mound. 

more  people  than  are  gathered  to-day  in  a 
single  city  like  Boston,  Chicago,  Cincinnati, 
or   New   Orleans.     Far  away  to  the  south 
ward,  where  maize  grew  without  cultivation, 
and  where  bananas  and  other  tropical  fruits 
were  native,  the  villages  of  Mexico  and  Yu 
catan  contained  a  larger  population;  but  with 
these  exceptions  America  might  be  called   "an  empty  con 
tinent, — a  desert-land  awaiting  its  inhabitants." 

2.  The  Mound  Builders. — The  central  part  of  North 
America  had  not  always  been  so  solitary.  The  basins  of 
the  Mississippi  and  the  Great  Lakes  contain  traces  of  a  nu 
merous  and  busy  people  who  tilled  the  soil,  worked  the 
copper  mines,  and  built  great  houses  for  habitation  and  de 
fense.  Not  a  word  of  their  speech  is  known  to  us;  the 
name  we  give  them  is  derived  from  the  huge  and  singular 
elevations  of  earth  which  they  left  behind  them.  Probably 
these  were  usually  surmounted  by  houses,  which  were  ap 
proachable  only  by  ladders,  and  were  thus  secure  against 
attack;  but  many  were  burial-mounds,  and  others  may  have 


THE  MOUND  BUILDERS. 


served  as  foundations  for  watch-towers  and  signal-stations. 
Still  others  bear  evidence  of  having  been  used  as  places  for 
worship  and  sacrifice.  Figures  of  men  and  animals  were 
often  imitated  in  the  shape  of  these  mounds.  One  of  them, 
in  Adams  County,  Ohio,  represents  an  enormous  serpent 
which  seems  about  to  swallow  an  egg-shaped  figure  164  feet 
long.  One  of  the  largest  villages  of  the  Mound  Builders, 
near  the  present  site  of  Marietta,  Ohio,  must  have  been  the 
home  of  at  least  5,000  people. 

3.  Wares  from  Ancient  Workshops. — Knives,  chisels, 
and  axes,  both  of  flint  and  of  copper,  carved  pipes,  beads, 
bracelets,  and  vases  of  glazed  earthenware  are  found  in  the 
burial-mounds,   and  all  are  of   finer  workmanship   than  any 
thing  made  by  the  Indians  of  the  coast.     When  Frenchmen 
first  visited  the  Mississippi  Valley,  the  homes  of  the  Mound 
Builders   had   been   deserted   for   hundreds  of  years,    if  we 
judge  from  the  age  of  forest-trees  which  were  growing  upon 
the  summit  of   their  earth-works;    and   the   relics  which  the 
mounds  contained  were  as  much   a  mystery  to   the   savage 
natives  as  they  ace  to  us. 

4.  The  Indians  knew  nothing  of  their  history  earlier  than 
the  memory  of  their  oldest  living  men.     Perhaps  the  Mound 
Builders  had  been  conquered  and  exterminated   by   the  an 
cestors  of  those  Indians  themselves;  perhaps  the  struggle  for 


Relics  from  the  Mounds. 


10  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

existence  in  so  cold  a  climate  was  too  hard  for  them,  and 
they  returned  to  the  warmer  regions  of  Mexico  and  Central 
America,  whence  they  had  come;  but  these  are  only  guesses: 
the  beginning  and  the  end  of  their  history  are  equally  un 
known  to  us. 

5.  Whence  came  the  early  inhabitants  of  Amer 
ica?  is  a  question  that  can  not  be  positively  answered.     A 
tradition   still  preserved  in   China,  says   that  a  company  of 
sailors,    driven   off   shore   by    westerly    winds,    sailed   many 
weeks  until  they  came  to  a  great  continent  where  grew  the 
aloe  and  other  plants  that  were  strange  to  them,  but  which 
we  recognize  as  natives  of  Mexico.     Even  within  the  last 
hundred  years,  fifteen  vessels  have  been  driven  across  the 
Pacific  to  our  western  shores;    and  during  all  the  previous 
ages  we  may  believe  that  many  similar  accidents  had  oc 
curred.     Doubtless,  also,  Greek  and  Phoenician  sailors  may 
have  crossed  the  narrower  and  more  stormy  Atlantic;  but  if 
they  reached  this  continent,  they  never  returned  to"  tell  their 
story.     The   first   white   visitors  of   America,   of  whom  we 
have  any  trustworthy  record,  came  from  Iceland. 

6.  Northmen  in  Greenland. — Iceland,  that  island  of 
frost  and  flame,  had  been  occupied  about  a  hundred  years  by 
a  hardy,  sea-faring  race  from  Norway,  when,  in  A.  D.  985, 
Eric  the  Red,  an  Icelandic  chief,  discovered  Greenland,  and 
planted  a  colony  of  his  countrymen  on  its  south-west  shore. 
This  settlement  grew  prosperous  through  its  trade  with  the 
Esquimaux,  and  paid   2,600  pounds  of  walrus-teeth  for  a 
yearly  tribute  to  the  Pope.     One  of  Eric's  comrades,  driven 
out  of  his  way  by  adverse  winds,  descried  the  mainland  of 
NORTH  AMERICA  stretching  far  away  to  the  south-west. 

7.  Leif  in  New  England. — In  A.  D.  1000,  Eric's  son, 
Leif  the   Fortunate,   undertook,   with   thirty-five  brave  com 
panions,   to  examine  this  more   fertile  and   attractive   shore. 
They  saw  the  flat  rocks  of  Newfoundland,  the  white  banks 


THE  NORTHMEN  IN  AMERICA. 


II 


of  Nova  Scotia,  and  the  long  sandy  beach  of  Cape  Cod. 
From  its  abundance  of  wild  grapes,  the  Rhode  Island  coast 
was  called  Good  Vinland.  Leif's  party  wintered  in  New 
England,  and  in  the  spring  carried  home  news  of  their  great 
discovery. 

8.  "White-man's  land." — Subsequent  parties  of  Ice 
landers  are  supposed  to  have  visited  the  shores  of  what  are 
now  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  The  northern  natives  had 
told  them  of  a  "  white-man's  land"  to  the  southward,  where 
fair-faced  processions  marched  in  white  robes,  with  banners 
at  their  heads,  to  the  music  of  hymns. 
Though  they  never  found  this  abode  of 
pale-faces,  the  Northmen  named  it  by 
anticipation,  Great  Ireland;  and  some 
wise  men  believe  that  Irish  fisher 
men  had  indeed  arrived  on  this  conti 
nent. 


Northmen  in  Rhode  Island. 


12  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

g.  Thorfinn  Karlsefne,  a  famous  sea-king,  reconnoitered 
the  bays  and  harbors  of  the  New  England  coast.      Icelandic 
settlements   were   made,    and   a   brisk    trade  was 
carried  on  with  the  natives,  who  were  glad  to  ex 
change  their  furs  for  bright-colored  cloth,  knives,  and  trink 
ets.     At  least  one  little  Northman  was  born  on  the  Ameri 
can  continent.     His  name  was  Snorri,  and  from  him,  in  our 
day,   the  great  sculptor,  Thorwaldsen,   and  the  learned  phi 
lologist,  Finn  Magnusson,  traced  their  descent. 

10.  In  time,  however,  the  people  of  Iceland  ceased  to 
hear  from  their  brethren  in  America.  The  settlers,  if  any 
remained  alive,  became  so  mingled  with  the  previous  inhab 
itants  that,  when  white  men  came  again,  their  descendants 
were  not  to  be  distinguished  from  other  barbarians  on  the 
coast. 

Point  out  on  Map  No.  I,  Iceland.  Greenland.  The  route  of  the 
Northmen.  The  Mississippi  Valley.  The  Great  Lakes. 

Read  Baldwin's  "Ancient  America;"  Squier  and  Davis's  "Amer 
ican  Antiquities"  and  "Discoveries  in  the  West."  L.  II.  Morgan's 
"Ancient  Society,"  Part  II.,  Chapter  vii;  his  article  in  the  "North 
American  Review"  for  1876,  and  one  in  "Johnson's  Cyclopaedia" 
on  the  "Architecture  of  the  American  Aborigines;"  Leland's  "  Fu- 
sang;"  Sinding's  "History  of  Scandinavia ;"  Beamish's  "  Discovery 
of  America  by  the  Northmen." 


CHAPTER   II. 

PHYSICAL    FEATURES    AND    EARLY    INHABITANTS. 

11.  While   North   America  is  again  hidden  from  the  rest 
of  the  world,  let  us  take  a  view  of  the  lonely  continent  and 
its  savage  people,   learning  if  we  can  what  is  its  fitness  for 
a  home  of  civilized  men.     As  before,  for  the  sake  of  clear 
ness,    we  shall   use  names  which  were  given   by  white  ex 
plorers  long  after  the  time  of  which  we  write. 

12.  Two  great   mountain   systems   form  the  rocky 
frame-work  of  the  continent.     The  eastern  or  Appalachian 
system,    extending   in   a  direction   nearly   parallel   with   the 
Atlantic   coast,   is   divided  by   several  river-valleys  into  the 
White  Mountains  of  New  Hampshire,  the  Green  Mountains 
of  Vermont,  the  Adirondacks  of  New  York,  the  Alleghanies 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  the  Blue  Ridge  and  Cumber 
land   Mountains   of   the   southern   states.     The   gentle  slope 
and  frequent  divisions  of  these  mountains  permit  the  naviga 
tion  of  many  rivers  far  from  the  sea;  and  the  two  thousand 
miles  of  coast  which  now  form  the  eastern  and  part  of  the 
southern   limit   of  the   United   States,   are  broken  by  bays, 
inlets,  and  fine  harbors  large  enough  to  shelter  the  shipping 
of  all  the  world. 

13.  The   Cordilleras  of  the  western  part  of  the  conti 
nent  form  a  grand  mountain-system  1,100  miles  across  at  its 
greatest   width,    consisting    of   elevated    table-lands    cut    by 
narrow  canons  and  bounded  by  still  higher  ridges  and  peaks. 
The  Coast  Range  descends  abruptly  to  the  Pacific,  and  its 
westward-flowing  rivers  are  short  and  rapid.     It  is  broken  in 
the  north  by  the  gorges,  or  dalles,  of   Columbia  River,  and 
farther  south  by  San  Francisco  Bay,   which  extends  so  far 

(13) 


14  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

into    the   interior    as   to   receive    the    Sacramento   and    San 
Joaquin  rivers  from  the  eastern  slope. 

14.  On  the  various  elevations  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
nearly  all  the  grains  and  fruits  of  the  world  can  be  made  to 
grow;    but   the   date-palm,   most  bounteous   of  the  gifts  of 
nature,  has  been  found  best  adapted  to  the  river-valleys  of 
Arizona.     The   greatest  growth   of   the   soil  is  the  gigantic 
Sequoia  of  California,  whose  trunk,   twenty  feet  or  more  in 
diameter  near  the  base,  rises  often  to  a  height  of  300  feet. 

15.  The  continuous  mountain-wall  of   the  Sierra  Nevada 
arrests   the   moist  winds   from   the   Pacific;    and  the  Great 
Interior  Basin,  extending  from  the  Sierra  on  the  west  to 
the  Wahsatch  and  Bear  River  mountains  on  the  east, — with 
its    alkaline    plains    and    salt    lakes — resembles    the    sandy 
deserts  of  western  Asia.     Sage-brush  is  the  only  fuel;    the 
largest  quadruped  is  the  prairie  wolf.     The  Digger  Indians, 
most  wretched  of  the  human  inhabitants  of  the  continent,  live 
on  roots  and  insects.     A  few  tribes  near  the  lakes  are  better 
fed  with  fish.     The  few  rivers  of  the  Great  Basin  lose  them 
selves  in  the  sands,  or  in  salt  lakes  which  have  no  outlet. 

1 6.  Four  rivers  have  their  rise  in  the  mountains  north 
east   of   the    Great    Basin.      The    Columbia   begins   its   long 
course  to  the  Pacific,  the  Colorado  to  the  Gulf  of  California; 
the   Yellowstone  and  the  Nebraska,   or  Platte,  to  their  union 
with  the  Missouri.     The   Rocky  Mountains  form  the  eastern 
barrier  of  the  Cordilleras,  and  from  their  eastern  slope  many 
rivers  descend  to  the  great  central  valley. 

17.  The  Mississippi  Valley. — North  and  south  through 
the    interior  of   the   continent   stretches  an  immense   plain, 
1,200   miles   in   width,   browsed   over   in   ancient   times   by 
countless  herds  of  bison.     Through  the  center  of  this  plain 
flows  the  longest  river  in  the  world,  measuring  from  the  head 
of  its  longest  branch  to  its  end  in  the  Mexican  Gulf,  4,194 
miles,   and  receiving   fifty-seven   other  rivers   from   the   east 


PHYSICAL   FEATURES.  15 

and  west.  The  natives  called  it  Miche  Sepe, — the  Father  of 
Waters.  The  soil  of  its  valley  is  of  inexhaustible  fertility, 
and  a  distinguished  French  writer  has  pronounced  it  "upon 
the  whole  the  most  magnificent  dwelling-place  prepared  by 
God  for  man's  abode." 

1 8.  Northeastward  from  the  central  valley  is  a  chain  of 
Five  Great  Lakes,  containing  collectively  nearly  half  the 
fresh  water  in  the  world.     Before  reaching  the  last  of  the 
lakes,  the  mass  of  water  plunges  over  a  precipice  160  feet 
in  height,  making  the  great  cataract  of  Niagara.     After  pass 
ing  through   Lake  Ontario,   it  flows  away  through  a  broad 
and  rapid  river   to   the   Atlantic.     By   means  of  the  Great 
Lakes,  and  canals  which  now  connect  them  with  navigable 
rivers,   ships  from  Europe  can  unload  their  cargoes  a  thou 
sand  miles  inland  on  the  docks  of  our  western  cities. 

19.  Physical   Divisions. — With  reference  to  the  uses 
of  man,  the  lands  of  the  United  States  may  be  viewed  in 
four  chief  divisions:    (i)  The  eastern  sea-board,  bounded  by 
the  Appalachian  range,  is  best  adapted  to  manufactures  and 
commerce;    (2)  the  great  central  valley,  to  agriculture;    (3) 
the  plains  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  to  grazing;  and  (4) 
the  Cordilleras,  to  mining.     No  region  of  the  earth  is  more 
richly  adapted  to  all  human  wants,  and  to  intercourse  with 
other  lands. 

^ 

20.  Three   Regions. — Before  men  learned  to  cultivate 
the  soil,   fish  and   edible  roots  were   their  chief  food;    and 
there  were  only  three  regions  in  North  America  that  could 
sustain  any  great  number  of   people  at   that  grade  of   sav 
agery.     (See  Table,  p.  22.)     These  were,  first  and  chief,  the 
valley  of  the  Columbia,  ' :  the  most  extraordinary  region  on 
the  face  of  the  earth  in  the  variety  and  amount  of  subsist 
ence  it  afforded  prior  to  the  cultivation  of  maize  and  other 
plants."     Its   rivers   swarmed   with    salmon,    its   forests  with 
game;  and,  beside  the  shell-fish  on  the  coast,  there  were  a 


1 6  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


species  of  bread-root  and  an  abundance  of  berries  on  the 
prairies.  From  this  land  of  plenty,  successive  bands  of 
emigrants  may  have  moved  out  to  occupy  various  regions 
of  North  and  South  America.  The  second  center  of  popu 
lation  was  the  lake-region  of  Minnesota,  the  nursery-land  of 
the  Dakotas;  and  the  third  was  on  the  south  shore  of  Lake 
Superior,  whose  abundant  fisheries  afforded  food  to  the 
Ojibways  and  many  kindred  tribes.  Thus  bountifully  sup 
plied  by  Nature,  the  natives  of  the  North-west  had  no  in 
centive  to  learn  new  arts.  They  had  no  pottery,  and  they 
dressed  their  game  or  fish  with  knives  of  flint,  and  cooked 
it,  if  at  all,  in  ovens  dug  in  the  ground. 

21.  The  River-tribes  of  the  interior  had  risen  above 
savagery  to  the  lower  grade  of  barbarism:  they  cultivated 
corn,  beans,  squashes,  and  melons,  and  laid  up  a  store  of 
dried  berries  and  grain  for  winter  use.  But  they  had  no 
domestic  animals,  no  knowledge  of  the  metals,  and  their 
earthenware  was  of  the  rudest  and  coarsest  kind.  Their 
houses  were  wigwams  or  lodges,  made  of  saplings  joined  at 
the  top  and  covered  with  sheets  of  bark,  or  sometimes  with 
woven  mats  or  skins. 

Occupations.— The  entire  labor  of  wigwam  and  garden 
was  performed  by  the  women,  who  dug  up  the  soil  with 
clam-shells  or  sharp  sticks;  planted,  tended,  and  harvested 
the  crops;  concealed  the  next  year's  seed-grain  in  vessels  un 
derground  from  the  hungry  hunters;  made  clothing  of  deer 
skin  and  sometimes  embroidered  it  with  beads;  wove  the 
mats  and  baskets  which  were  their  only  household  furniture; 
and,  on  a  march,  carried  all  burdens,  including  perhaps  the 
whole  covering  of  their  houses,  or  at  least  a  papoose  bound 
upon  a  board  and  hung  at  the  mother's  back.  The  men, 
meanwhile,  made  their  canoes  of  birch-bark,  carved  their 
war-clubs  and  pointed  their  arrows  with  bone  or  flint,  and 
ranged  the  forest  in  quest  of  food. 

22.  The  Village  Indians  of  the  far  south-west  were  in 


EARL  Y  INHABITANTS. 


the  middle  period  of  barbarism.  They  built  houses  of 
adobes  (sun-dried  bricks)  or  stone;  they  made  bronze  tools, 
and  hardened  copper  into  a  very  good  substitute  for  steel. 
The  Peruvians  tamed  the  llama  to  serve  them  as  a  beast  of 
burden.  In  the  size  and  shape  of  their  skulls  and  in  their 
modes  of  building,  the  Village  Indians  resembled  the 
Mound  Builders.  Their  descendants  in  Arizona  and  New 
Mexico  live  in  the  same  pueblos,  or  villages,  an  honest, 
industrious,  and  law-obeying  people.  Their  great  stone 


houses,  often  four  or  five  stories  high, 
^BHl  contain  several  hundred  persons.  Each 
story  is  smaller  than  the  one  below  it,  leaving  a  long  flat- 
terrace  or  roof  through  which  alone  the  house  is  entered, 
by  means  of  ladders. 

23.  East  of  the  Mississippi  the  lands  were  divided 
among  three  great  families:  (i)  The  Algonquin  extended 
from  Hudson  Bay  to  the  Tennessee  and  Roanoke  rivers, 
and  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Atlantic,  excepting  the 
region  of  the  lower  lakes  which  had  been  wrested  from 
them  by  the  (2)  Huron- Iroquois ;  (3)  the  Mobilians,  whose 
lands  were  bounded  by  the  Mississippi,  the  Atlantic,  and 
the  Gulf,  included  the  Creeks,  Choctaws,  Chickasaws,  and 
Seminoles. 

West  of  the  Mississippi  were  the  Dakotas,  or  Sioux, 
u.  s.  H.-2. 


1 8  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

and  their  kindred  tribes.  These  included  the  Minnitaree, 
of  the  upper  Missouri,  whose  fine  appearance  and  superior 
houses  and  gardens  have  led  to  a  conjecture  that  they  may 
be  descendants  of  the  Mound  Builders.  The  Shoshoncs  of 
the  south-west,  and  the  Village  Indians  already  mentioned, 
were  of  a  different  race. 

24.  The  Iroquois  excelled  all  other  northern  Indians  in 
the  arts  of  war,  government,  and  agriculture.     Knowing  well 
the  advantages  of   their   position   on    the   great   water-ways 
which  led  to  the  interior  of  the  continent,  they  made  them 
selves  feared  by  all  their  race.     From  Canada  to  the  Caro- 
linas,    and   from    Maine   to  the    Mississippi,   Indian   women 
shuddered  at  the  name  of  the  Ho-de-no-sau' nee  *  while  even 
the  bravest  warriors  of  other  tribes  went  far  out  of  their  way 
in  the  wintry  forests  to  avoid  an  encounter  with  them. 

Within  sixty  years  from  their  first  acquaintance  with  white 
men,  the  Iroquois  had  exterminated  the  Hurons, — their  own 
nearest  kindred  and  bitterest  foes, — the  Eries  and  Neutrals 
about  Lake  Erie,  and  the  Andastes  of  the  upper  Susque- 
hanna;  while  they  had  forced  a  humiliating  peace  upon  the 
Lenape,  or  Delawares,  the  most  powerful  of  the  Algonquins, 
and  had  driven  the  Ottawas  from  their  home  upon  the  river 
which  bears  their  name.  Though  now  at  the  height  of  their 
power,  they  numbered  only  1,200  fighting  men  of  their  own 
race;  but  they  had  adopted  a  thousand  young  warriors  from 
their  captives  to  fill  the  vacancies  made  by  war. 

25.  Clans. — Throughout    the    continent    families    were 
grouped  into  gen'tcs,  or  clans,  which  took  their  names  from 
various  animals  supposed  to  be  their  ancestors.     Thus  the 
Mohawks,  on  the  upper  Hudson,  included  the  three  clans  of 
the  Wolf,  the  Bear,  and  the  Turtle.     The  Senecas  had  these 


#Or  "People  of  the  Long  House,"  the  name  by  which  the  Iroquois 
called  themselves.  The  English  called  them  "The  Five  Nations," 
and  later  "The  Six  Nations."  See  §172. 


INDIAN  RULERS  AND  RELIGION.  19 

three  and  five  more:  the  Beaver,  the  Deer,  the  Snipe,  the 
Heron,  and  the  Hawk.  All  the  members  of  the  same  clan, 
in  whatever  tribe,  regarded  each  other  as  brothers  and  sisters, 
and  marriage  was  not  permitted  within  the  limits  of  the  clan. 
Some  believed  that  after  death  they  would  resume  the  shape 
of  the  ancestral  bird,  beast,  or  reptile  whose  form,  rudely 
drawn  on  bark,  was  placed  over  the  door  of  their  lodge. 

Sachems. — Each  tribe  had  a  sachem,  or  chief  coun 
selor  in  matters  of  peace,  whose  place  was  filled  on  his 
death  by  the  election  of  another  member  of  his  family,  usu 
ally  his  brother  or  his  sister's  son.  Women,  as  well  as  men, 
voted  in  these  elections.  In  time  of  war,  or  other  emergen 
cies,  chiefs  were  chosen  who  continued  in  office  as  long  as 
they  lived.  Being  chosen  for  personal  qualities,  such  as 
wisdom,  eloquence,  or  bravery,  these  chiefs  were  often  very 
able  men.  The  sorcerers,  called  powwows  or  medicine  men. 
had  still  greater  power,  owing  to  the  superstitions  of  the 
people.  They  really  had  some  skill  in  healing  sick  persons 
by  vapor  baths  and  decoctions  of  roots  and  herbs;  but  to 
these  rational  remedies  they  added  bowlings  and  incanta 
tions,  which  were  supposed  to  frighten  away  the  evil  spirits 
that  occasioned  disease. 

26.  Religion. — According  to  the  dark  notions  of  barba 
rians,  the  Indians  were  a  very  religious  people.  They  be 
lieved  in  a  Great  Spirit,  the  Master  of  Life,  who  had  made 
the  world,  and  whose  bounty  they  celebrated  by  six  annual 
thanksgivings, — at  the  first  flowing  of  maple-sap,  at  planting, 
at  the  ripening  of  berries,  when  their  green  corn  was  ready 
for  eating,  at  harvest,  and  at  New  Year.  They  believed, 
also,  in  an  Evil  Spirit,  who  might  bring  upon  them  famine, 
pestilence,  or  defeat  in  war,  and  whom  they  sought  to 
appease  by  fastings  and  sacrifices.  They  expected  another 
life  after  death,  and  desired  to  have  their  weapons,  and 
sometimes  a  favorite  dog,  buried  with  them  for  use  in  the 
"happy  hunting  grounds."  The  Natchez,  on  the  lower 


2O 


HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


Mississippi,    were    sun-worshipers,    and    kept    a    perpetual, 
sacred  fire  in  their  temples. 

27.  Dancing  and  Singing  were  important  parts  of 
every  religious  observance.  No  sick  person  could  be  cured, 
no  war  planned,  and  no  treaty  made  without  a  dance,  which 
often  continued  several  days.  Their  musical  instruments 
were  drums,  rattles,  and  a  rude  kind  of  flute.  The  war- 
dance  was  common  to  all  the  tribes,  but  each  clan  had  pe 
culiar  dances  of  its  own,  sometimes  numbering  thirty  or  more. 


Indian  Dancing. 

Though  they  had  neither  books  nor  letters,  some  Indian 
tribes  practiced  picture-writing  which  answered  all  their  pur 
poses.  They  had  even  a  sort  of  musical  notation,  by 
which  a  leader  could  read  off  his  song  from  a  piece  of 
birch-bark  marked  with  a  stick.  Beads  made  of  shells  or 
stones  served  them  for  money. 

28.  Communism  was  the  social  law  of  the  whole  conti 
nent.  In  some  of  the  "long  houses"  of  the  Iroquois, 
twenty  families  were  fed  daily  from  the  common  kettle  of 


INDIAN  CHARACTER.  21 

boiled  corn  and  beans.  Hunters  left  their  game  to  be 
carried  home  by  other  members  of  their  clan,  while  they 
pushed  on  for  fresh  supplies.  The  salmon  of  the  Columbia 
River  was  speared,  dried,  and  kept  in  common  store-houses 
for  the  benefit  of  the  whole  tribe.  Most  of  the  Mexican 
pueblos  consisted  of  three  or  four  "joint  tenement  houses," 
in  each  of  which  a  hundred  or  more  families  lived  together. 

29.  Appearance  and  Character. — The  natives  of 
America  were  of  an  almost  uniform  dark-brown  color,  with 
straight,  shining  black  hair  and  high  cheek-bones.  With 
but  few  exceptions  they  were  treacherous,  cruel,  and  re 
vengeful.  Often  hospitable  and  friendly  when  at  peace, 
they  were  merciless  and  brutal  in  war.  Prisoners  were  tor 
tured  with  fiendish  barbarity.  It  was  thought  an  ill-omen 
for  the  conquerors  if  they  failed  to  make  their  victim  cry  out 
with  pain;  therefore  though  they  tore  out  bits  of  his  flesh 
with  teeth  or  pincers,  night  after  night,  and  at  last  roasted 
him  in  a  slow  fire,  he  continued  to  sing  his  death-song  with 
a  calm,  unwavering  voice  until  his  last  breath  released  him 
from  their  torments. 

War,  famine,  and  pestilence  destroyed  so  many  In 
dians  every  year,  that  we  may  doubt  whether  many  would 
now  be  living  but  for  the  interference  of  the  whites,  whose 
cruelties  and  frauds — though  they  can  never  be  remembered 
without  shame — were  mercy  compared  with  the  tortures 
which  the  barbarians  inflicted  on  each  other.  Indians  are 
more  numerous  now  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States 
than  they  are  supposed  to  have  been  when  Englishmen  first 
landed  on  our  coasts;  and  the  only  tribes  which  can  look 
forward  to  continued  existence  are  those  which,  like  the 
Cherokees,  have  adopted  the  thrifty  habits  of  civilized  life. 

Map  No.  2.  Name  the  chief  ranges  of  the  Cordilleras.  Point  out 
the  Great  Basin.  The  Great  Salt  Lake.  The  several  branches  of  the 
Columbia;  the  Missouri.  The  course  of  the  Colorado;  the  Sacra 
mento;  the  San  Joaquin.  The  longest  river  in  the  world.  The  outlet 


22  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

of  the  Great  Lakes.  The  country  of  the  Algonquins;  the  Huron- 
Iroquois ;  the  Mobilians  ;  the  Athabascas ;  the  Pueblos ;  the  Dakotas ; 
the  Shoshones;  and  the  Apaches. 

Consult  Walker's  "Statistical  Atlas  of  the  United  States;"  Ray 
mond's  "Mining  Statistics:"  Fremont's  "  Explorations  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains;"  Hayden's  "Reports."  Read  Chapter  I  of  Parkman's 
"  Conspiracy  of  Pontiac,"  and  the  Introduction  to  his  "Jesuits  in 
North  America;  "  Morgan's  "  League  of  the  Iroquois"  and  "Ancient 
Society;"  Schoolcraft's  "  Algic  Researches"  and  other  works;  Cat- 
lin's  "North  American  Indians." 

The  following  Table  exhibits  seven  steps  in  human  progress : 

I.  LOWEST   GRADE   OF  SAVAGERY. — Mankind   lived   on    fruit   and 
nuts ;  had  no  houses,  no  fire,  no  agriculture,  no  animal  food. 

II.  MIDDLE  GRADE  OF  SAVAGERY. — Began  with  the  use  of  fish  for 
food,  and  of  fire  for  cooking ;    ended  with  invention  of  the  bow  and 
arrow. 

III.  UPPER  GRADE  OF  SAVAGERY. — Began  with  use  of  bow  and 
arrows  for  hunting,    and  ended  with  invention  of   pottery ;    included 
basket-making  and  use  of  knives  of  flint  and  stone. 

IV.  LOWEST  GRADE  OF  BARBARISM.— Began  with  manufacture  of 
pottery,  proceeded  with  cultivation  of  corn  and  other  plants,  and  ended 
with  use  of  sun-dried  brick  and  stone  for  building. 

V.  MIDDLE  GRADE  OF  BARBARISM. — Began  in  Eastern  Hemisphere 
with  domestication  of  animals;  in  Western,  with  irrigation  of  land  for 
tillage.     Included  use  of  copper, — which  in  some  cases  was  hardened 
like  steel, — and  building  with  brick  and  dressed  stone,  and  ended  with 
the  working  of  iron. 

VI.  HIGHEST  GRADE  OF   BARBARISM. — Began  with  iron  manufact 
ure,  and  ended  with  the  invention  of  the  alphabet. 

VII.  CIVILIZATION. — Began  with    written   language,   includes   gun 
powder,    the  mariner's  compass,  printing,  steam  in  manufactures  and 
locomotion,  illuminating  gas,  the  electric  telegraph,  etc.,  etc. 

Of  these  seven  grades,  only  the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth  were  repre 
sented  in  America  at  the  time  of  its  discovery  by  white  people. 

— Condensed  from  Morgarfs  "Ancient  Society" 


CHAPTER  III. 

DISCOVERIES   AND    SETTLEMENTS    BY    EUROPEANS. 

30.  The  fifteenth  century  was  a  great  age  in  Europe. 
The  art  of   printing,   then  newly  invented,  by  diffusing  the 
thoughts  of   old  writers,   stirred  men's  minds  to  speculation 
concerning  the  world  they  lived  in.      Improvements  in  the 
mariner's   compass   made   navigation    safer.     Spaniards   dis 
covered  and  colonized  the  Canary  Islands;  Portuguese  sail 
ors  reached   the  Madeiras,   Azores,   and  Cape  Verdes,  and, 
far  more  important  than  all,  found  a  sea-route  to  India.1 

31.  A  few  bold  thinkers  had  long  believed  that  the  earth 
was  a  globe  instead  of  the  oblong  plain  which  the  ancients 
imagined;  but  Christopher  Columbus,2  a  Genoese  sailor, 
was  the  first  to  act  upon  this  belief  and  resolve  to  sail  west 
ward  to  China  and  Japan.     The  means  for  such  a  voyage 
had  first  to  be  secured;  and  Columbus  spent  many  years  in 
begging  the  various  governments  of  Europe  for  men,  money, 
and   ships.     At  length   the  good  queen,   Isabella  of  Spain, 
exclaimed:    "I  will  undertake  the  enterprise  for  mine  own 
crown   of  Castile;    and  if   it  be  necessary  I  will  pawn  my 
jewels  to  defray  the  cost." 

32.  On  Friday,  the  third  of  August,   1492,  Columbus  set 
sail  from  Palos,  in  Spain,  with  three  small  ships  manned  by 
120  sailors.     He  followed  first  the  well-known  route  to  the 
Canaries,  where  he  took  in  fresh  supplies  of  food  and  water, 
and  then  stood  away  forty  days  westward  into  the  unknown 
sea,  which  the  imaginations  of  his  men  peopled  with  inde 
scribable  horrors.     Just  as  they-  had  resolved  to  throw  their 
commander  overboard,  and  turn  their  prows  toward  Spain, 

(23) 


24  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Christopher  Columbus. 

a  gun  from  one  of  the  smaller  vessels  announced  a  dis 
covery,  and  the  glad  cry  "Land  ahead!"  was  soon  heard 
from  the  mast-head  of  the  Pinta.  (See  Map  i.) 

33.  The  Discovery  by  Columbus. — On  the  far  horizon 
the  low,  green  shore  of  one  of  the  Bahamas  was  seen  by  the 
early  morning  light.  Terror  and  discontent  suddenly  gave 
way  to  exultant  joy.  At  sunrise  of  October  12,  1492,  the 
great  Admiral  landed,  and,  kneeling  on  the  beach,  gave 
thanks  to  heaven.  He  then  assumed  possession  of  the 


COLUMBUS.  25 


country  in  the  name  of  the  sovereigns  of  Spain,  calling  it 
San  Salvador  (Holy  Savior). 

34.  The  people,   who  were  gentle  and  friendly  in  ap 
pearance,  came  running  to  the  shore  bringing  gifts  of  fruit 
to  conciliate  their  visitors,  whom  they  supposed  to  be  mes 
sengers  from  heaven.     Isabella  and  Columbus  had  indeed 
hoped  to  convey  a  message  of  heavenly  grace  to  these  un 
taught  heathen;  but  the  cruelty  of  most  of  their  representa 
tives  defeated  their  high  purpose.     Not  knowing  that  a  great 
continent  still  barred  his  passage  to  the  eastern  seas,  Colum 
bus  called  the  people  "Indians"  and  their  islands  "Indies." 
With  the  adjective   "West"   prefixed,    this  name  has  con 
tinued  in  use,  while  the  original  natives  of  the  whole  conti 
nent  are  known  as  "Indians." 

35.  Having  visited  Hayti  and  Cuba,  Columbus  returned 
to   Spain,   bearing  with   him  specimens  of  the  people  and 
products  of  the  newly-discovered  lands.     He  was  received 
with  a  truly  royal  welcome,  and  now  hundreds  of  the  rich 
and  the  great  were  eager  to  enlist  in  his  company  of  advent 
urers.     Knowing  nothing,  men  imagined  whatever  they  most 
desired  concerning  the  new  wonder-land,   which  was  soon 
said  to  contain  walled  cities  built  of  gold  and  pearls,  and  to 
hold,  deep  in  its  enchanted  forests,  a  fountain  of  perpetual 
youth!     But  precisely  because  they  were  looking  for  these 
impossible   things,    the   early   adventurers   failed.     No   man 
came  to  stay;  each  hoped  to  become  immensely  rich  by  one 
fortunate   discovery,   and   return   to   dazzle  his  countrymen 
with  a  blaze  of  jewels  and  rich  equipage.     The  poor  natives, 
who   were   to   help   them   to   this   sudden   wealth,    died   by 
thousands  of   unwonted  labors,  and  station  after  station  of 
the  Spaniards  was  abandoned  to  solitude. 

36.  In  three  subsequent  voyages,  Columbus  discov 
ered  Jamaica  and  others  of  the  West  India  Islands,  and  in 
1498,  touched  the  continent  near  the  mouth  of  the  Orinoco. 


26  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

But  the  great  Admiral  died  in  1506,  believing  that  he  had 
only  found  a  new  route  to  Asia;  and  the  New  World,  which 
he  had  discovered,  received  its  name,  almost  by  accident, 
from  his  friend  Amerigo  Vespucci,3  whose  description  first 
made  it  known  to  central  Europe. 

37.  English  Discovery  of  North  America. — When 
the  kings  who  had  refused  aid   to  Columbus  heard  of  his 
great  success,   they   hastened   to  seize  a  part  of  the  newly- 
discovered  lands.     Henry  VII.  of  England  sent  John  Cabot*- 
and  his  sons  to  take  possession  in  the  king's  name  of   any 
"islands  or  regions  inhabited  by  infidels"  which  they  could 
find, — they  taking  all  the  risk  and  expense  of  the  voyage,  to 
be  repaid,   if  at  all,  by  the  profits  of  trade  with  the   ' '  infi 
dels."     Sebastian  Cabot  ^  one  of   the  sons,   was  the  first  to 
visit  the  North  American  continent.     In  company  with  his 
father  he   descried  the  coast  of  Labrador  fourteen  months 
before  Columbus  touched  South  America  (§36).     The  next 
year  he  discovered  Newfoundland,  and  extended  his  voyage 
to  Chesapeake  Bay. 

38.  The  Portuguese,  Cabral,  discovered,  in  A.  D.  1500, 
the  rich  forests  of  Brazil;    while  his  countryman,    Cortereal, 
following  the  Cabots,   explored  the  North  American  coasts, 
and  carried  off  fifty  or  more  of  the  unoffending  natives  to  be 
sold  as  slaves  in  Europe.     A  third   Portuguese,  Magellan^ 
found   at   last   a   south-west    passage   to    the    Pacific    Ocean 
through  the  strait  which  bears  his  name,  while  the  notion  of 
a   north-west   passage  is  as   yet   neither  realized   nor  aban 
doned.     For  more    than    a   hundred   years  sailors   from  all 
parts   of   western    Europe   were    sailing    into   the   bays   and 
rivers  of  the  American  coast,  hoping  that  each  might  lead 
to  the  Pacific. 

39.  Spaniards,   following   Columbus,    examined  all    the 
coasts  and  islands  of  the  Caribbean  Sea.     Diego   Columbus  I  / 
conquered  and  colonized  Cuba,  having  inherited  his  father's/ 


DISCO  VERIES  B  Y  SPAN  I  A  RDS.  2  7 

title,  "Viceroy  of  the  New  World."  Ponce  de  Leon,  a  com 
rade  of  the  great  Admiral,  but  now  an  old  man  of  damaged 
fame  and  fortune,  hoped  to  regain  all  that  he  had  lost,  and 
more,  by  finding  that  fabled  fountain  (§35)  which  could  re 
store  youth  and  the  vigor  of  life.  On  Easter 
Day,  which  the  Spaniards  called  Pascua  Florida, 
he  came  in  sight  of  a  beautiful  country,  bright  with  spring 
flowers;  and,  after  exploring  its  coasts,  gave  to  the  whole 
peninsula  the  name  of  Florida.  But  he  never  found  the 
Fountain  of  Youth.  In  his  attempt  to  gain  possession  of 
the  country,  a  few  years  later,  he  received  a  mortal  wound, 
and  died  in  Cuba  disappointed  in  all  his  hopes.  Another 
Spaniard,  Nunez  de  Balboa*  was  the  first  European  who 
crossed  the  Isthmus  of  Darien.  Advancing  waist-deep  into 
the  waters  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  he  drew  his  sword  and 
swore,  as  a  true  knight,  that  he  would  defend  it,  with  its 
coasts,  islands,  and  all  that  it  contained,  for  his  master,  the 
king  of  Spain ! 

40.  Vasquez  de  Ayllon,  in  1520,  visited  the  coasts  of 
South  Carolina,  and  carried  away  two  ship-loads  of  natives 
to  toil  in  the  mines  of  Hayti,  or  Hispaniola.     One  ship  sank 
on  the  return-voyage;  the  other  arrived  with  only  a  part  of 
its  wretched  freight,  numbers  having  perished  of  suffocation 
and    the    barbarities    of    their    captors.     Naturally,    a    later 
attempt  of  De  Ayllon  to  plant  a  colony  in  the  country  he 
had  thus  despoiled,   ended  in  failure  and  disgrace.      Mean 
while  a  troop  of  Spaniards,  under  Cortez,  conquered  the  rich 
and  populous  villages  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico;  but  neither 
this  event,  nor  the  subsequent  Spanish  conquest  of  Peru 
longs  to  the  history  of  the  United  States. 

41.  Narvaez,  in  A.   D.    1528,    landed  with  300  men  in 
Tampa  Bay,  and,  marching  inland,  penetrated  through  dense 
pine  woods  and  sickly  swamps  to  Appalachee  Bay.     Many  of 
his  company  died  of  fever  and  by  the  arrows  of  the  savages, 
and  neither  conquest  nor  settlement  was  made.      His  coun- 


nch 
ither  / 
,be-| 


28 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


A.  D.  1542. 


tryman,  Hernando  de  Soto]  with  a  gallant  company  of  600 
men,  marched  northward  and  westward  into  the  interior, 
and  during  the  third  year  of  his  wanderings 
reached  the  Mississippi  near  the  present  city  of 
Memphis.  After  a  winter  of  untold  hardships  he  died  in 
the  wilderness,  and  was  buried  beneath  the  turbid  waters 

of  the  great  river  which 
he  had  discovered. 


42.  Coronado,  another 
Spaniard,  explored  the 
western  shores  of  Mexico 
about  the  same  time,  as 
cended  the  river  Gila, 


«F  w-> < ;J :  m- 'IV  v\mnwWfm'F 


March  of  De  Soto. 

visited  the  magnificent  gorges  of  the  upper  Colorado,  and 
penetrated  probably  to  the  head-waters  of  the  Arkansas. 
He  was  seeking  the  "Seven  Cities  of  Cibola,"  which  the 
excited  fancy  of  his  countrymen  had  pictured  as  full  of 
sumptuous  palaces  blazing  with  gold  and  jewels.  He  found 
only  some  village  Indians  (§22)  who  offered  him  a  share  of 


k'V 


DISCOVERIES  BY  THE  FRENCH.  29 

their  corn,  and  were  amazed  by  being  violently  attacked 
and  plundered  by  the  disappointed  Spaniards.  If  Coro- 
nado  had  expected  less  he  would  doubtless  have  admired 
the  fine  buildings  of  dressed  stone,  whose  ruins  still  attest 
the  industry  of  the  Pueblos.8 

43.  French   fishermen   were  the  first  to  discover  the 
immense  shoals  of  cod-fish  on  the  banks  of  Newfoundland, 
and   their  industry   drew   thence  a  steady   gain,    while  the 
Spaniards  were  wasting  life  and  fortune  in  their  search  for 
cities  of  gold.     In  A.  D.    1524,    Verrazzano,  a  Florentine  in 
the  service  of  Francis  I.,  king  of  France,  visited  the  harbors 
of  New  York  and  Newport,  and,  after  exploring  the  Atlantic 
coast  from   Carolina   to   Newfoundland,   wrote   the   first   de 
tailed  account  of  the  country,  which  he  called  New  France. 
Ten  or  fifteen  years  later,  Jacques  Cartier9  explored  the  gulf 
and  river  St.  Lawrence  above  the  sites  of  Quebec  and  Mon 
treal,  both  of  which  contained  a  large  Indian  population. 

44.  No   settlement,  so  far,  had  been  made  within  the 
present  limits  of   the  United  States.     In  A.  D.    1562,    the 
French   Admiral   Coligny™  a   wiser   man   than   most    of   his 
countrymen  of  that  day,   undertook  to  establish  a  home  of 
perfect  religious   freedom  in  the   American  forests.     Under 
his  patronage  a  company  of  Frenchmen  landed  on  the  coast 
of  South  Carolina,  and  built  a  fort,  which  they  called  Caro 
line  in  honor  of  King  Charles.     The  harbor  was  named  Port 
Royal;  the  land  seemed  to  them  "the  fairest,  fruitfulest,  and 
pleasantest  of  all  the  world."     Unhappily  they  expected  the 
fruitful  land  to  give  them  harvests  unsown.     The  Indians, 
who  had  been  friendly  at  first,  grew  tired  of   feeding  such 
lazy   guests.     Ribault,"  the  French  captain,   returned   home 
for  supplies.      Hunger  and  home-sickness  conquered  the  res 
olution  of  those  who  were  left,  and,  building  a  rude  ship, 
they  followed  him. 

45.  Two  years  later  another  company  of  Frenchmen, 


3° 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  .STATES. 


under  Captain  Laudonniere,11  built  a  second  Fort  Caroline, 
on  the  St.  John's  River,  farther  south.  Among  them  were 
many  lawless  spirits,  who,  in  defiance  of  their  commander, 
seized  the  ships  and  set  off  on  a  plundering  cruise  among 
the  Spanish  West  Indies.  The  Spaniards,  who  claimed  the 
whole  North  American  continent,  and  especially  Florida, 
owing  to  Ponce  de  Leon's  discovery  (§39),  were  made  still 
more  angry  at  the  French  intrusion  by  these  piracies. 

46.  Pedro  Menendez,  in  1565,  with  nearly  3,000  Span 
iards,  selected  a  site  for  St.  Augustine,  which  still  exists  as 


Old  Gate  at  St.  Augustine. 

the  oldest  town  in  the  United  States.  Ribault,  who  had 
just  come  from  France,  no  sooner  heard  of  their  arrival 
than  he  sailed  with  a  squadron  to  attack  the  Spaniards;  but 
Menendez  at  the  same  time  marched  overland  to  the  French 
fort,  and  murdered  all  its  occupants.  As  France  and  Spain 
were  at  peace,  he  excused  the  act  by  an  inscription  which 
he  nailed  to  a  tree:  "Not  as  French,  but  as  heretics." 

When  the  news  of  this  massacre  reached  France,  the  king 
took  no  notice  of  it;  but  a  private  gentleman,  Dominique  de 
Gourgues,  resolved  upon  vengeance.  Selling  all  his  lands, 


SETTLEMENTS  BY  THE  FRENCH. 


Champlain  among  the  Indians. 

he  spent  the  avails  in  ships,   and  with   150  men  sailed  to 

Florida.     Aided  by  the  Indians,  who  had  learned  to  dread 

and  hate  the  Spaniards,  he  took  and  demolished 

Fort  Caroline  and  two  other  forts  at  the  mouth 

of  the  river,  hanged  all    the  men  who  were  not  killed  in 

fighting,  and  wrote  over  their  heads  this  inscription :   ' '  Not 

as  Spaniards,  but  as  traitors,  robbers,  and  murderers." 

47.  The  French  in  Canada. —Frenchmen  were  more 
successful  in  gaining  and  keeping  a  foothold  near  the  St. 
Lawrence.  Samuel  de  Champlain 12  was  the  * '  Father  of 
New  France."  In  1608  he  laid  the  foundations  of  Quebec. 
The  next  summer  he  joined  a  war-party  of  Algonquins 
(§23),  explored  with  them  the  beautiful  lake  which  bears 


32  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

his  name,  and  gave  them  a  victory  over  the  Iroquois  by 
means  of  fire-arms,  which  those  astonished  warriors  had 
never  seen  nor  heard  before.  Champlain  was  followed  by 
missionaries,  who  were  the  first  to  discover  the  salt-springs 
of  Onondaga  and  the  beautiful  lakes  of  central  New  York. 
Several  of  these  good  men  suffered  brutal  tortures  and  death 
from  the  savages  whom  they  had  come  to  convert. 

48.  Spaniards  in  the  South-west. — Not  only  St.  Au 
gustine,  but  Santa  Fe™  the  next  oldest  town  in  the  United 
States,  owes  its  origin  to  the  Spaniards.  Antonio  de  Es- 
pejo,14  starting  in  1582  from  northern  Mexico,  explored  the 
upper  course  of  the  Rio  Grande.  He  found  the  people  well 
clothed  in  cotton  and  leather,  living  in  houses  four  stories 
high,  strongly  built  of  stone  and  lime,  and  with  fire-places 
for  winter  use.  In  consequence  of  Espejo's  discovery  of 
rich  veins  of  silver,  colonies  were  sent  in  1595  to  New 
Mexico,  and  a  town  was  built  near  Santa  Fe.  Late  in  the 
following  century,  Jesuit  Fathers  established  missions  in  Ari 
zona  and  California.  All  the  "Mission  Indians"  were  sup 
plied  with  food  and  clothing,  the  former  of  which  they  were 
gradually  taught  to  produce  from  their  fields.  Wine,  grains, 
flax,  hemp,  and  wool  were  among  the  exports  from  the  Mis 
sions;  and  but  for  occasional  brief  relapses  into  their  old 
wild  manners,  the  people  kept  for  nearly  a  hundred  years 
the  aspect  of  civilized  communities.  Then  the  Fathers  left 
them,  and  they  soon  went  back  into  barbarism. 

Trace  on  Map  No.  I  the  several  routes  of  Columbus.  Of  Cabot, 
Cabral,  and  Magellan.  On  Map  No.  2  the  routes  of  Ponce  de  Leon, 
Balboa,  De  Ayllon,  Narvaez,  De  Soto,  Coronado,  Verrazzano,  Cartier, 
Champlain,  Espejo.  Point  out  the  sites  of  the  two  French  settlements 
on  the  Atlantic  coast.  St.  Augustine. 

Read  Irving's  "Life  of  Columbus"  and  "Companions  of  Colum 
bus;"  Hakluyt's  "Voyages;"  Major's  "Life  of  Prince  Henry  the 
Navigator;"  Parkman's  "Pioneers  of  France  in  the  New  World"  and 
"Jesuits  in  North  America." 


-v^r 


\ 


o? 


gW 

'SL/ 


?eS£K*«J 

^Mis  ^  JY/ 


or  THE 
UNIVERSITY 


NOTES. 


NOTES. 

1.  Prince  Henry  the  Navigator  (b.  1394,  d.  14GO)  was  the  fourth  son  of 
King  John  I.  of  Portugal.    He  established  a  school  of  navigation,  and  in 
troduced  the  use  of  the  compass  and  the  astrolabe.    The  discovery  of  the 
Madeira  Islands  and  the  coast  of  Africa  southward  as  far  as  Sierra  Leone, 
was  due  to  his  aid  and  encouragement.    The  impulse  to  navigation  given 
by  him,  caused  Portuguese  sailors  for  a  time  to  lead  in  explorations.    The 
entire  western  coast  of  Africa  became  known  when  Bartholomew  Diaz 
discovered  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  in  1486;  but  this  route  to  Asia  was  not 
used  for  commerce  until  after  1500. 

2.  Christopher  Columbus,  the  eldest  son  of  a  wool-comber,  was  born  at 
Genoa,  Italy,  in  1436.    He  obtained  his  education  at  the  University  of 
Pavia,  but  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  became  a  sailor.    His  experiences  at 
sea  embraced  all  that  was  then  known  of  seamanship.    After  his  mar 
riage  with  the  daughter  of  an  old  sea-captain,  he  earned  his  living  for 
some  years  at  the  Madeiras  by  making  maps  and  marine  charts.    Be 
fore  he  was  thirty -eight  years  of  age,  he  had  conceived  his  grand  ideas  of 
the  form  of  the  earth  and  the  possibility  of  reaching  Asia  by  sailing 
westward  from  Europe.    Columbus  was  an  intensely  religious  man,  and 
his  purpose  in  seeking  unknown,  shores  was  "  to  carry  the  true  faith  to 
the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth."    Before  sailing  he  was  created  admiral, 
and  viceroy  of  the  regions  he  should  discover.    The  incidents  of  his  sev 
eral  voyages  are  given  in  the  text.    His  remains  are  now,  after  three  re 
movals,  deposited  in  the  cathedral  at  Havana,  Cuba. 

3.  Amerigo  Vespucci  was  a  native  of  Florence.    In  1499  he  was  agent  of 
a  commercial  house  in  Seville,  and  that  year  sailed  as  a  pilot  in  the  fleet 
of  Alonzo  de  Ojeda  on  an  expedition  to  the  "  Indies  of  the  West,"  which 
had  been  discovered  by  Columbus.    Vespucci  had  often  talked  with  Co 
lumbus,  and  the  stirring  accounts  of  his  travels,  related  by  the  great 
Genoese,  had  aroused  in  his  owrn  breast  the  spirit  of  adventure.    Ojeda's 
caravels  reached  the  island  of  Trinidad  after  a  smooth  voyage,  and,  sail 
ing  through  the  Gulf  of  Paria,  the  mainland  was  first  sighted.    In  1501 
Vespucci  sailed  from  Spain  on  his  second  expedition,  this  time  in  charge. 
He  landed  on  the  coast  of  Brazil,  and  cruised  north  and  south  from  the 
Florida  peninsula  to  54°  south  latitude.    His  account  of  this  voyage,  pub 
lished  at  Augsburg,  Bavaria,  in  1504,  was  the  first  printed  announcement 
of  the  discovery  of  a  western  continent,  and  the  zeal  of  his  friends  led  them 
to  name  the  new  found  land  "  Amerige  "  (America)  in  his  honor. 

4.  John  Cabot  and  Sebastian  Cabot.— Very  little  is  known  of  the  lives 
of  the  two,  men  on  whose  discoveries  England  based  her  claim  to  a  large 
part  of  the  New  World.    It  is  known  that  they  discovered  the  mainland 
of  America  in  June,  1497.    John  Cabot  died  before  Sebastian's  second 
voyage  in  1498.    During  this  voyage  the  coast  was  explored  1800  miles. 
Sebastian  Cabot  is  supposed  to  have  died  in  1557,  at  the  age  of  eighty. 

5.  Fernando  Magellan  left  Seville,  Spain,  in  August,  1519,  and  entered 
the  straits  between  South  America  and  the  island  of  Terra  del  Fuego, 
October,  1520.    He  kept  on  his  westward  course,  and  in  April,  1521,  was 
killed  in  an  encounter  with  natives  of  one  of  the  Philippine  Islands. 
One  of  his  ships  again  reached  Spain  in  September,  1522.    This  was  the 
first  circumnavigation  of  the  globe. 

6.  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa  was  a  freebooter,  who,  to  escape  from  his 
creditors  in  Spain,  hid  himself  in  the  hold  of  a  vessel  bound  for  the  Car 
ibbean  Sea.    When  the  ship  was  several  days  out,  he  came  forth  from  his 
hiding  place,  and  implored  the  commander  on  his  knees  to  spare  his  life 
and  to  give  him  some  food.    Afterwards  the  vessel  was  wrecked  on  the 
Darien  coast,  and  Balboa  with  most  of  the  crew,  was  cast  on  shore.    By 
his  force  of  character  he  assumed  command  of  the  party,  and  started  to 
explore  the  country.    They  were  attacked  by  hostile  Indians,  and  reduced 
by  starvation  ;  but,  pushing  boldly  into  the  interior,  they  came  in  a  few 
days  to  the  crest  of  a  mountain  range,  from  which  the  vast  expanse  of  the 
Pacific  burst  upon  their  astonished  gaze.    This  discovery  was  made  by 
Balboa  in  September,  1513.    At  the  sight  he  prostrated  himself  upon  the 
ground;  then,  rising  to  his  knees,  he  thanked  God  "it  had  pleased  his 
divine  majesty  to  reserve  unto  that  day  the  victory  and  praise  of  so  great 
a  thing  unto  him." 

U.  S.  H.— 3. 


34  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


7.  Hernando  de  Soto  was  born  in  Estremadura,  Spain,  in  1496.  He  was 
of  a  noble  family,  and  was  distinguished  for  his  excellence  in  scholarship 
and  athletic  sports.  He  accompanied  an  expedition  to  America  in  1519, 
and  again  in  1527.  In  1528  he  explored  the  coasts  of  Yucatan  and  Guate 
mala  for  700  miles,  believing  he  would  find  a  strait  that  connected  the 
Atlantic  and  Pacific  oceans.  He  went  with  Pizarro  to  Peru  in  1532,  and 
took  a  prominent  part  in  the  conquest  of  that  country.  Returning  to 

1     ,t  the  court  of  Charles 
permission  to  possess 


Spain  with  an  immense  fortune,  he  was  received  at  the  court  of  Charles 
V.  with  high  honors,  and  asked  of  the  emperor  p 

Florida,  which  was  looked  upon  as  a  land  abounding  in  native  weaun. 
This  being  granted,  De  Soto  fitted  out  a  fleet  of  nine  vessels  at  his  own  ex 
pense,  and  sailed  by  way  of  Havana,  in  1539.  He  had  on  board,  besides  his 
600  followers,  300  horses,  many  hogs,  and  a  number  of  bloodhounds.  The 
exploring  party  landed  at  Tampa  Bay,  in  jubilant  spirits,  on  the  30th  of 
May.  Their  three  years  perilous  wanderings  in  southern  forests,  and  De 
Soto's  untimely  death,  are  described  in  the  text. 

8.  The  finest  existing  specimens  of  the  ancient  Pueblo  architecture  in 
New   Mexico  are   the  villages  of  Santo  Domingo,  San    Felipe,  Isleta, 
Acoma,  and  others  in  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Grande,  and  Zuni,  near  the 
western  border  of  the  territory.    These  are  still  occupied  by  the  Pueblo 
Indians,  and  many  of  the  houses  are  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation. 
The  ruins  of  seven  great  buildings  in  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Chaco,  100 
miles  north-west  of  Santa  F6,  probably  mark  the  sites  of  the  "Seven 
Cities  of  Cibola"  (§42)  which  Coronado  sought.    Each  edifice  contained 
from  100  to  600  apartments,  and  was  occupied  by  from  1,000  to  4,000  persons. 

9.  When  Jacques  Cartier,  in  1535,  anchored  his  ships  in  the  mouth  of 
the  St.  Lawrence,  he  felt  confident,  from  the  great  width  and  depth  of 
the  river,  that  he  had  discovered  at  last  the  long  sought  passage  to  the 
Indian  Ocean. 

10.  Admiral  Gaspard  de  Coligny  was  a  noted  leader  of  the  French 
Huguenots,  and  fell  the  first  victim  in  the  Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew, 
August  24th,  1572, 

11.  The  expedition  of  Ribault  first  landed  on  the  Florida  coast  at  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  John's  River,  which  they  named  the  "  River  of  May." 
On  the  south  bank  they  erected  a  stone  column,  on  which  were  inscribed 
the  arms  of  France.    Laudonniere's  party  were  rejoiced  to  find  this  me 
morial  column  when  they  visited  the  spot  two  years  later. 

12.  Samuel  de  Champlain  was  born  at  Brouage,  France,  in  1567.    His 
father  was  a  sea-captain,  and  the  son  was  early  skilled  in  navigation.    He 
visited  Canada  several   times   before   his   appointment  as   lieutenant- 
general.    He  effected  the  first  permanent  French  settlement  in  the  New 
World.    His  expedition  against  the  Iroquois  provoked  the  enmity  of  that 
tribe,  and  the  French  were  compelled  to  seek  lines  of  exploration  and 
trade  to  the  north  of  lakes  Ontario  and  Erie,  and  from  thence  to  the 
valley  of  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi.    He  died  in  Canada  in  1635. 

13.  Santa  F<5.— Old  Spanish  records  have  recently  been  discovered  in 
Santa  F6  which  seem  to  prove  a  greater  antiquity  for  the  place  than  has 
been  generally  accepted.    They  indicate  that  the  Catholic  chapel  of  San 
Miguel,  which  is  still  in  a  fair  state  of  preservation,  was  originally  built  as 
early  as  1565.    If  this  be  true,  Santa  Fe  was  undoubtedly  a  permanent 
mission  station  from  that  time,  and  this  would  make  the  Spanish  settle 
ment  as  early  as  that  at  St.  Augustine. 

14.  Prior  to  Espejo's  exploration  of  the  Rio  Grande  valley,  several  par 
ties  of  Spanish  adventurers  had  been  over  the  same  region, — notably  one 
under  Cabeza  de  Vaca  in  1537,  another  under  Marco  di  Niza  in  1539,  that 
of  Coronado  (§  42)  the  following  year,  and  one  led  by  Francisco  de  Bonillo 
in  1581.    Between  the  years  1595  and  1599,  Juan  de  Ofiate  was  sent  by  the 
viceroy  of  Mexico  to  take  formal  possession  of  the  country  in  the  name 
of  his  Spanish  sovereign. 


CHAPTER  tV. 

ENGLISH    SETTLEMENTS. VIRGINIA. 

49.  The     Partition    of    America.— Spain,    Portugal, 
France,   and   England  were  for  centuries  rival  claimants  to 
the  New  World;  while   Holland   and   Sweden  kept   each   a 
foothold  upon  its  shores,  long  enough  to  impress  something 
of  their  character  upon  its  future  inhabitants.     But  as  there 
was   really   far  more  land    than   any   or   all   of  them  could 
use,  the  dispute  settled  itself  at  last  upon 

"The  simple  plan 

That  they  should  take  who  have  the  power, 
And  they  should  keep  who  can." 

50.  Eighty  years  had  passed  since  the  discoveries  by  the 
Cabots  before  Englishmen  made  any  serious  effort  to  es 
tablish    homes    in    North    America.       English    sailors    had 
indeed  had  their  full  share  in  the  exploration  of  the  conti 
nent.     Frobisher*  went  beyond  all  previous  mariners  into  the 
icy  regions  west  of  Greenland;  Davis,  advancing  yet  farther 
to  the  northward,  entered  the  strait  which  bears  his  name; 
Drake*   in    quest   of    Spanish    treasure-ships,    explored    the 
Pacific  coast  as  far  as  Oregon,  wintered  near  San  Francisco, 
and  returned  to  Europe  by  way  of  Asia  and  Africa. 

51.  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  seeing  the  failure  and  misery 
which  had  resulted  from  the  eager  search  for  gold,  planned 
a  colony  for  fisheries  and  regular  trade.     But  his 

two  expeditions  failed,    and   their  brave  leader 
was  lost  at  sea.      His  half-brother,  Sir  Walter  Raleigh?  was 
among  the  greatest  and  most  unfortunate  of  English  advent 
urers.     Under  a  patent  from  Queen  Elizabeth,4  in  1585,  he 

(35) 


36  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

sent  1 08  colonists  to  occupy  the  fruitful  region  from  which 
the  French  had  been  expelled  (§§44>  46)- 

52.  Virginia.  —  Delighted  with  the  accounts  which 
reached  her  of  the  beauty  and  wealth  of  the  country,  Eliz 
abeth  named  it  Virginia,  in  honor  of  her  own  state  as  a 
maiden  queen.  A  site  was  chosen  for  the  colony  on  Ro- 
anoke  Island,  and  a  profitable  trade  was  carried  on  with  the 

friendly  Indians.  But  the 
misconduct  of  the  white 
men  soon  turned  these  into 
foes;  the  situation  of  the 
colonists  then  became  un 
endurable,  and  they  seized 
an  opportunity  to  return 
to  England. 

53.  A  second  colony,5 
including  some  women  and 
children,  arrived  at  Roan- 
oke  in  1587.  But  war  was 
now  breaking  out  between 
England  and  Spain.  Ships 
which  Raleigh  sent  with 
fresh  supplies  for  the  colo- 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh. 

nists,    went    in    chase    of 

Spanish  prizes,  and  were  themselves  taken.  When  English 
men  revisited  Roanoke  three  years  later,  no  white  face  was 
found  on  the  island.  Whether  the  settlers  had  perished  or 
had  taken  refuge  with  some  friendly  tribe  in  the  interior, 
can  not  be  known. 

54.  Though  Raleigh  derived  no  benefit  from  the  expendi 
ture  of  all  his  fortune,  yet  his  generous  efforts  had  spread 
through  England  a  knowledge  of  America,  and  had  given  a 
great  impulse  to  colonization.  The  voyages  of  Gosnold,6 
Weymouth,  and  Pring  made  known  the  islands,  capes,  and 
noble  harbors  on  the  coasts  of  Maine  and  Massachusetts; 


ENGLISH  SE  TTLEMENTS—  VI R  GINIA.  3  7 

and  fleets  of  English  vessels  repaired  thither  for  trade  and 
fishing,  though  for  many  years  no  permanent  settlement  was 
formed. 

55.  Colonial   Companies. — In    1606   King  James   I.7 
gave  charters  to  two  English  companies  ' '  for  planting  and 
ruling   New   England  in   America."     The   London   Company 
might  establish  a  colony  anywhere  between  Cape  Fear  and 
the  east  end  of  Long  Island;    the  Plymouth   Company,  any 
where  between   Delaware  Bay  and   Halifax,   provided  that 
neither  should  begin  a  settlement  within  a  hundred  miles  of 
one  already  made  by  the  other.     The  king  reserved  to  him 
self  the  right  to  make  all  laws  and  appoint  all  officers  for 
the  colonies;  and  was,  moreover,  to  receive  one  fifth  of  all 
gold   and  silver,   and  one  fifteenth  of   all  copper  obtained 
from  them.     For  five  years  every  man  was  to  labor,  not  for 
himself,  but  for  a  common  fund. 

56.  First    English    Settlement. — The   London  Com 
pany   soon   dispatched   three   ship-loads  of  emigrants,    com 
manded  by  Christopher  Newport,  to  select  and  settle  lands 
in  Virginia.     Of  the  105  men  who  enlisted  in  the  enterprise, 
48    were    "  gentlemen,"    according    to    the    notions    of    the 
times;    that  is,   they  despised  work,   and  expected   to  grow 
rich  either  by  accident  or  by  the  toil  of  others.     The  most 
sensible  man  in  the  colony  was  Captain  John  Smith,8  who 
had  gained  wisdom  by  much  hard  experience;  and  he  was 
imprisoned  on  the  voyage  out,   under  a  foolish  charge   that 
he  intended  to  murder  the  Council  and  make  himself  king 
of  Virginia!     This  accusation   sprang  from  President  Wing- 
field's  envy  of  the  superior  ability  and  influence  of  Smith. 
Upon  trial,  the  latter  was  honorably  acquitted  and  restored 
to  his  place  in  the  Council. 

57.  It  was  the  spring  of  1607,  when  the  three  vessels  en 
tered    Chesapeake    Bay.       Glad    to   be    protected   from   the 
storms    that    were    raging    without,    the    adventurers    named 
their   first   anchorage   Point   Comfort.     They  called   the  two 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


capes  which  guard  the  entrance  of  the  bay,  Charles  and 
Henry,  after  their  king's  two  sons;  and  the  noble  stream 
which  they  soon  afterwards  ascended,  James  or  King's  River, 
from  the  king  himself.  Fifty  miles  up  the  river  they  chose 
the  site  for  their  first  settlement,  which  bore  the  name  of 
Jamestown. 

58.  Wingfield's  dishonesty  soon  brought  him  into  dis 
grace,  and  Smith  became  the  real  head  of  the  colony.  He 
enforced  the  primitive  rule  that  he  who  would  not  work 


Settlement  of  Jamestown. 

should  not  eat;  he  put  an  end  to  quarreling  and  profanity, 
and  in  time  he  taught  the  "gentlemen"  to  swing  their  axes 
with  the  rest.  Meanwhile  he  explored  Chesapeake  Bay  and 
all  its  tributary  rivers;  cultivated  friendship  with  the  Indians, 
of  whom  a  powerful  confederacy  of  forty  tribes,  called  Pow- 
hatans,  occupied  the  region,  and  secured  from  them  needed 
supplies  of  corn. 

59.    The   "Starving  Time." — Compelled  by  a  severe 
wound  to  return  to  England,  Smith  left  about  five  hundred 


LABOR  IN  VIRGINIA. 


colonists  in  Virginia,  well  supplied  with  all  that  was  needful 
for  their  comfort.  Nevertheless,  the  period  following  his  de 
parture  is  called  the  "Starving  Time,"  for  the  men  gave 
chemselves  up  to  idleness  and  riot,  and  in  six  months  there 
were  only  sixty  persons  alive  in  the  colony.  These  resolved 
to  join  the  fishermen  in  Newfoundland;  but  on  their  way 
down  the  river  they  met  Lord  Delaware,  the  new  governor, 
with  hundreds  of  colonists  and  a  fresh  supply  of  stores. 

60.  A   new  era   soon   dawned   upon   Virginia.      Gold- 
seeking  was  abandoned  after  a  ship-load  of  earth  containing 
specks  of  yellow  mica  had  been  sent  to  England  and  found 
worthless.     The  soil  was  now  perceived  to  be  the  true  source 
of  wealth,  and  the  allotment  of  a  few  acres  to  each  man  gave 
each  an  interest  in  his  own  labor.     Unhappily  the  high  price 
of  tobacco  in  England  —  where  it  had  been  lately  introduced 
and  was  very  fashionable  —  led  most  of  the  planters  to  raise 
it  to  the  exclusion  of  food-products.     And  though  the  price 
soon  fell  to  two-pence  a  pound,  tobacco  long  continued  to 
be  the  medium  of  exchange  as  well  as  the  chief  export  of 
the  colony.     Ministers'  salaries,  lawyers'  fees,  and  landlords' 
rents  were  all  paid  in  tobacco.     But  the  crop  exhausted  the 
soil,  and  in  many  cases  short-lived  wealth  was  followed  by 
bankruptcy,  ruin,  and  poverty. 

61.  New  Laws.  —  In  1611  the  Company  sent  out  a  new 
code  of  laws  of  almost  incredible  strictness.     Theft  and  dis 
respectful  mention  of   the  king  were  punishable  with  death 
at   the  first   offense.     Profane   swearing   and   absence    from 
public  worship  received  the  same  punishment  after  two  trials 
of  lighter  penalties. 

62.  Introduction    of    Slavery.  —  Hitherto    there    had 
been  very  few  women  in  the  colony.     In  1619,  beside  nearly 
twelve  hundred  other  settlers,  ninety  honest  girls  came  from 
England    and    became    wives    of   planters.      Another   cargo 
followed,   and   many  colonists  now  enjoyed   the   comfort  of 


40  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


settled  homes.  A  less  valuable  acquisition  was  a  company 
of  "jail-birds,"  who  were  sold  as  indentured  servants  for  a 
limited  number  of  years.  Still  more  serious  in  its  ultimate 
consequences  was  an  importation  of  negroes  from  the 
African  coast  who  became  slaves  for  life.  The  first  cargo 
of  negroes  was  brought  to  Jamestown  in  a  Dutch  ship  in 
1619. 

Trace  on  Map  No.  2  the  voyages  of  Frobisher,  Davis,  Drake.  Point 
out  capes  Charles  and  Henry.  The  site  of  Raleigh's  two  colonies.  On 
Map  No.  3,  point  out  the  site  of  Jamestown.  Point  Comfort.  The 
principal  rivers  that  flow  into  Chesapeake  Bay. 

Read  Smith's  "True  Relation"  and  "General  History."  For  this 
and  all  following  chapters  to  the  end  of  Part  III:  Bancroft's  "History 
of  the  United  States;"  Bryant's  "Popular  History;"  Hildreth's  "His 
tory  of  the  United  States." 

NOTES. 

1.  Martin  Frobisher  for  fifteen  years  cherished  the  idea  that  he  could 
sail  direct  to  the  coveted  "  north-west  passage,"  but  he  was  too  poor  to  fit 
out  ti  ship.    He  said  "  it  was  the  only  thing  of  the  world  that  was  yet  left 
undone,  by  which  a  notable  minde  might  be  made  famous  and  fortunate." 
At  length,  the  Earl  of  Warwick  provided  him  with  means  sufficient  to 
equip  two  small  barks,  and  he  set  sail  from  the  mouth  of  the  Thames  in 
the  summer  of  1576.    One  vessel  deserted  him  at  the  first  storm,  but  he 
fearlessly  pressed  forward  with  the  other  to  the  coasts  of  Labrador.    Upon 
entering  an  inlet  north  of  Hudson  Strait,  he  firmly  believed  the  aim  of 
his  journey  across  the  sea  was  achieved  ;  for  he  argued  that  the  land  on 
his  right  was  Asia,  while  that  on  his  left  was  the  continent  of  America. 
A  short  sail  convinced  him  of  his  error.    The  next  year  Frobisher  came 
with  a  fleet  of  several  vessels  to  the  same  forbidding  region,  and  returned 
to  England  laden  with  worthless  dirt  and  stones  which  were  believed  to 
contain  rich  traces  of  gold.    In  1578  he  commanded  a  third  expedition, 
this  time  under  the  immediate  patronage  of  Queen  Elizabeth.    It  was 
composed  of  fifteen  well  appointed  ships,  and  carried  out  many  sons  of 
noble  English  families,  besides  one  hundred  persons  to  form  a  permanent 
colony  on  the  inhospitable  shores  of  Greenland.    When  the  flag  ship  of 
the  Admiral  sailed  into  Hudson  Strait,  "Now,  surely,"  thought  he,  "I 
will  go  through  to  the  Pacific."    But  after  going  sixty  miles  he  concluded 
that  he  was  upon  the  wrong  course,  and  turned  back  with  his  fleet.    With 
the  approach  of  winter  his  ships  were  nearly  overwhelmed  by  icebergs, 
and  the  intense  cold  created  mutiny  among  his  men  ;  so  that  all  were  glad 
to  get  away  from  these  polar  regions  with  their  lives,  and  back  to  their 
homes  without  either  glory  or  gold.    Frobisher  was  knighted  for  bravery 
at  the  defeat  of  the  Spanish  Armada,  and  died  from  a  wound  received  in 
an  attack  on  Brest  in  1594. 

2.  Sir  Francis  Drake  (b.  1545,  d.  1595)  was  one  of  the  most  renowned  of 
British  admirals.    In  1572,  having  crossed  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  from 
the  east,  he  first  saw  the  Pacific  Ocean  from  the  top  of  a  tree  which  he  had 
climbed  :  and  then  and  there  he  resolved  "  to  sail  an  English  ship  in  these 
seas."    Five  years  later  he  left  England  with  live  small  vessels  and  nearly 
two  hundred  men,  to  carry  out  this  resolution.    In  eight  months  he  en- 


NOTES.  41 


tered  the  straits  of  Magellan  with  his  own  ship  only,  the  "  Golden  Hind ;  " 
and,  sailing  through,  followed  the  western  coast  of  America.  He  chris 
tened  its  northern  part  New  Albion,  and  took  possession  of  it  in  the  name 
of  Queen  Elizabeth.  Steering  westward  into  the  broad,  unknown  Pacific, 
he  successfully  circumnavigated  the  world,  entering  once  more  the  harbor 
of  Plymouth  two  years  and  ten  months  after  his  departure.  He  was  the 
first  Englishman,  and  the  second  of  all  navigators,  to  accomplish  this 
feat.  A.  chair  was  eventually  made  of  wood  taken  from  the  "  Golden 
Hind,"  and  presented  by  Charles  II.  to  the  University  of  Oxford. 

3.  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  born  in  Devonshire,  England,  1552,  was  beheaded 
on  the  charge  of  conspiracy  against  the  throne  in  1618.    He  was  a  man  of 
genius  and  eminent  attainments, — distinguished  as  author,  explorer,  and 
courtier.    Queen  Elizabeth  knighted  him  because  of  the  successful  issue 
of  the  first  expedition  which  he  fitted  out  to  the  coast  of  North  Carolina. 
He  became  member  of  Parliament,  and  was  commander  of  a  vessel  in 
the  English  fleet  that  annihilated  the  Spanish  "  Invincible  Armada  "  in 
1588.    He  explored  the  coasts  of  Guiana,  in  South  America,  and  upon  his 
return  to  Europe  published  an  account  of  the  expedition.    While  im 
prisoned  in  the  Tower  of  London  for  a  period  of  thirteen  years,  he  wrote 
his  "  History  of  the   World."     Raleigh's  American  colonists  have  the 
credit  of  introducing  tobacco  and  potatoes  into  Europe. 

Concerning  Raleigh's  execution,  his  biographer  writes  that  "approach 
ing  the  edge  of  the  scaffold  and  kneeling  down,  he  prayed  in  a  very 
earnest  manner,  and  begged  for  the  prayers  of  all  who  heard  him.  The 
executioner  then  kneeled  to  him  for  the  forgiveness  of  his  office.  Raleigh 
placed  both  his  hands  on  the  man's  shoulders,  and  assured  him  that  he 
forgave  him  with  all  his  heart.  He  then  examined  the  block  and  fitted 
himself  to  it,  and  asked  the  executioner  to  show  him  the  ax.  The  latter 
hesitated,  but  Raleigh  repeated  the  request.  Touching  the  knife-edge 
with  his  finger,  and  then  kissing  the  blade,  he  said,  'This  gives  me  no 
fear.  It  is  a  sharp  and  fair  medicine  to  cure  me  of  all  my  diseases.'  He 
added,  '  When  I  stretch  forth  my  hands,  dispatch  me.'  Kneeling  for  his 
last  prayer,  he  laid  his  head  upon  the  block,  calmly  stretched  forth  his 
hands,  and  awaited  the  death-blow.  The  headsman  again  hesitated. 
'Strike,  man,  strike!  what  dost  thou  fear?'  cried  Raleigh.  Two  terrible 
blows  severed  the  head  from  the  body,  and  to  the  last  his  lips  were  seen 
to  move  in  prayer." 

4.  Queen  Elizabeth,  the  daughter  of  Henry  VIII.  and  Anne  Boleyn,  was 
born,  in  1533,  and  ruled  over  England  from  1558  until  her  death  in  1603. 
She  became  deeply  interested  in  the  marine  enterprises  of  her  subjects. 
Elizabeth  was  especially  jealous  of  the  achievements  of  Spanish  explorers 
in  the  New  World.    When  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert  set  out  on  his  unfortu 
nate  expedition,  she  wished  him  "  as  great  goodhap  and  safety  to  his  ship 
as  if  herself  were  there  in  person,"  and  presented  him  with  a  golden 
anchor  as  a  token  of  her  regard.    Her  friendship  for  Raleigh  was  mani 
fested  in  the  special  patent  and  licenses  granted  him,  as  well  as  in  the 
marked  honors  conferred  upon  him  at  her  court.    She  showed  her  ap 
proval  of  Frobisher's  first  voyage  by  waving  an  adieu  with  her  hand  from 
the  shore,  and  sending  him  a  personal  message ;  and  of  his  second  and 
third  expeditions  by  defraying  a  large  share  of  the  expenses. 

5.  Simon  Ferdinando  was  admiral  of  this  expedition,  and  John  White 
was  appointed  governor  of  the  colony.    Soon  after  their  arrival  at  Ro- 
anoke  Island,  Mrs.  Dare,  the  daughter  of  Governor  White,  gave  birth  to  a 
little  girl,  who  was  christened  Virginia.    This  was  the  first  English  child 
born  within  the  present  territory  of  the  United  States. 

6.  Bartholomew  Gosnold,  in  May,  1602,  discovered  and  named  Cape  Cod. 
He  landed  there  with  four  men,  and  these  were  the  first  Englishmen  who 
ever  set  foot  upon  the  shores  of  New  England.    Doubling  the  cape  they 
sailed  around  Nantucket  and  Martha's  Vineyard  islands  into  Buzzard's 
Bay  (which  they  called  "  Gosnold 's  Hope  "),  and  anchored  off  the  western 
most  of  the  Elizabeth  Islands.    On  this  they  built  a  fort  and  storehouse, 
purposing  to  establish  a  permanent  colony,  but  through  fear  of  the  In 
dians  and  lack  of  provisions  the  party  soon  returned  to  England.    Until 
Gosnold 's  expedition,  no  English  voyager  since  the  Cabots  had  undertaken 
the  northern  or  direct  course  across  the  Atlantic;.    His  predecessors  had 
followed  in  the  tnick  of  Columbus,  by  the  way  of  the  Canary  Islands  and 


42  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


the  West  Indies.  The  distance  saved  by  the  new  route  was  between  2,000 
and  -'5,000  miles,  and  naturally  this  gave  a  fresh  impulse  to  colonizing  and 
trading  schemes.  Gosnold  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  company  which 
founded  Jamestown  in  1607,  and  died  in  the  fall  of  that  year  from  the  hard 
ships  and  exposures  of  pioneer  life.  He  ranks  with  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  as 
one  of  the  wisest  and  greatest  of  the  founders  of  American  colonies. 

7.  King  James,  who,  in  1603,  succeeded  Queen  Elizabeth  on  the  English 
throne,  was  the  only  son  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots.    He  was  born  in  1506, 
and  was  crowned  King  of  Scotland  when  still  an  infant.    James  was  a 
weak,  cowardly,  cruel  man.    He  was  constantly  under  the  influence  of 
unworthy  favorites,  some  of  whose  followers  were  the  royal  governors  of 
American  colonies. 

8.  Capt.  John  Smith  was  born  in  England  in  1579  and  died  in  1631.    Ac 
cording  to  his  own  account  of  his  life  he  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Neth 
erlands,  and  in  the  wars  against  the  Turks  in  Hungary  and  Austria, 
where  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  sold  as  a  slave  at  Constantinople.    He 
slew  his  master  and  escaped  through  Russia.    He  was  also  for  a  time  in 
northern  Africa.    On  his  return  to  England  Gosnold  persuaded  him  to 
Join  the  colony  for  Virginia.    After  his  return  to  England  from  Virginia 
in  1609,  he  made  a  voyage  to  New  England  and  constructed  a  map  of  the 
coast  from  Cape  Cod  to  the  mouth  of  the  Penobscot.    He  published  several 
books  relating  to  America. 


CHAPTER  V. 

VIRGINIA    AND    MARYLAND. 

63.  Council  of  Burgesses. — With  the  governorship  of 
Sir  George  Yeardley,  the  true  life  of  Virginia  began.     The 
' '  cruel  laws "  were  repealed,  and,  ' '  that  the  planters  might 
have  a  hand  in  the  governing  of  themselves,  it  was  granted 
that  a  general  assembly  should  be  held  yearly  once,  whereat 
were  to  be  present  the  governor  and  council,  with  two  bur 
gesses  from  each  plantation,  freely  to  be  elected  by  the  in 
habitants  thereof, — this  assembly  to  have  power  to  make  and 
ordain  whatsoever   laws  should   by   them   be  thought   good 
and    profitable    for   their   subsistence."      The    "Council    of 
Burgesses,"  which  met  at  Jamestown,  in  July,  1619,  was  the 
first  law-making  body  in  America  which  was  chosen  by  the 
people. 

64.  Indian   Hostilities. — While  Powhatan  lived, — the 
chief    of    that    confederacy    with    which    Smith    had    made 
friendship, — white   men    and   savages  were   at   peace.     His 
daughter,    Pocahontas,1  married   John    Rolfe,    a  young    En 
glishman,   and   several  famous  Virginian  families  are  proud 
to  number   themselves  among   her   descendants.     But   Pow- 
hatan's   successor   was    hostile    to   the    English.      Living   in 
careless  security   upon   their  scattered  plantations,   the  colo 
nists  had  even  sold  powder  and  guns  to  the  Indians,  who 
seemed   friendly,   but   who  were  silently   planning   the  com 
plete    extermination    of   the    white    intruders.      Suddenly,  at. 
noon  of    March   22,    1622,   every  village  was   attacked.      A 
fierce  war  followed,  in  which  nearly  two  thousand  colonists 
perished,  and  of  eighty  -settlements  only  eight  remained. 

65.  Changes  in  Government. — In   1624  King  James 

(43) 


44  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

dissolved  the  London  Company,  and  made  Virginia  a  royal 
province;  but  though  the  governor  and  council  were  ap 
pointed  by  the  king,  the  laws  were  still  made  by  the  repre 
sentatives  of  the  people.  Virginia  was  strongly  attached  to 
both  the  king  and  the  Church  of  England.  During  the 
changes  in  the  home  government,  hereafter  to  be  noticed 
(§125),  many  royalists  found  refuge  in  the  colony;  and 
though  the  Council  of  Burgesses  submitted  to  Parliament, 
to  avoid  the  ruin  of  the  tobacco  trade,  there  was  great  re 
joicing  when  monarchy  was  restored,  A.  D.  1660. 

66.  Condition  of  Virginia. — Virginia  numbered  at  this 
time  about   30,000  inhabitants.     Richmond,   in  its  magnifi 
cent  position  at  the  falls  of  the  James  River,  and  Williams- 
burg,  on  the  peninsula  between  the  Rappahannock  and  the 
York,   were  already  flourishing  settlements.     The  mildness, 
beauty,  and  fertility  of  the  region  made  it  "the  best  poor 
man's    country    in    the    world."     The    people   wanted   only 
schools  for  their  children  to  make  them  perfectly  contented. 
Though  ' '  every  man  instructed  his  children  according  to  his 
own  ability,"  this  increased  the  contrast  between  the  families 
of   the  educated  gentry  and  the  untaught  workmen,   a  dis 
tinction  which  was  contrary  to  the  best  interests  of  the  col 
ony.     The  settlers  were   so   scattered  that   it   is  said,    "no 
man  could  see  his  neighbor  without  a  telescope,  or  be  heard 
by  him  without  firing  a  gun." 

67.  Governor  Berkeley. — The  joy  which  attended  the 
restoration  of  King  Charles  II.  was  soon  changed  to  grief 
and  resentment.     The  right  to  vote  was  taken  from  the  mass 
of  freemen  to  be  exercised  only  by  land-owners,  taxes  were 
imposed  without  their  consent,  and  even  the  settlers  of  re 
mote  and   lonely   places  were  not  permitted  to  assemble  in 
arms  against  the  savages,  who  were  murdering  their  wives 
and    children.      Governor    Berkeley,2  an   avaricious,    selfish, 
and  arbitrary  man,  was  supposed  to  be  selling  powder  and 


BACON'S  REBELLION.  45 

shot  to  the  Indians  contrary  to  law.  Being  sent  to  England 
to  plead  the  cause  of  the  colony,  Berkeley  only  enriched 
himself  by  robbing  it  of  a  portion  of  its  lands  (§132),  which 
the  king  was  induced  to  give  to  a  company  to  which  he 
belonged.  In  1673  the  same  king,  in  a  transient  caprice, 
bestowed  ''all  the  dominion  of  land  and  water  called  Vir 
ginia"  upon  lords  Culpepper  and  Arlington  for  a  period  of 
thirty-one  years. 

68.  Bacon's  Rebellion. — All  this  might  not  have  cured 
the  people  of  their  submissive   loyalty,   but  when  the  gov 
ernor  refused    to  send   troops   to   oppose   a   large    force   of 
Indians  who  were  coming  down  the  James,   they  took  up 
arms  and  chose  for  their  leader  Nathaniel  Bacon,3  a  gentle 
man  of  fortune  and  influence,  who  had  lately  arrived  in  Vir 
ginia.     Bacon's    little   army    routed   the   savages,    while    the 
governor  was  proclaiming  him  a  rebel  and  traitor,  and  rais 
ing  a  troop  to  oppose  him.     An  insurrection  in  Jamestown 
compelled  Berkeley,  however,  to  disband  his  army,  dissolve 
his  aristocratic  council,   and  call  a  more  popular  assembly, 
of  which  Bacon  was  a  member. 

69.  The  governor,   weak  and  violent  by  turns,   broke  all 
his  promises.     Civil  war  followed,   in  which  Jamestown  was 
burnt,   and  only  a  ruined  church-tower  remains  to  mark  its 
site.     Bacon   died    suddenly  of  disease,    and   his  party,   for 
want  of  a  leader,    was  soon    subdued.      Berkeley  disgraced 
his    victory    by    the    most    insolent    cruelty.       Twenty-two 
patriots  were  hanged,  and  three  died  from  the  hardships  of 
their  prison.      "The  old  fool,"  said  Charles  II.,  "has  taken 
away    more    lives    than   I,    for   the    murder    of  my    father." 
Berkeley  was  recalled, 4  and  Lord   Culpepper, 5  one  of  the 
new  proprietors,  became  governor  of  the  Old  Dominion. 

70.  Maryland. — From  lands  originally  belonging  to  Vir 
ginia,    a  new  colony  had  been  formed   with  a  more  liberal 
constitution  both  as  to  civil  and  religious  rights.     George  Cal- 


46  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

vert,  the  first  Lord  Baltimore,  obtained  from  Charles  I.,  in 
1629,  a  grant  of  lands  north  of  the  Potomac,  where  all  per 
sons,   but  especially  members   like   himself   of   the   Catholic 
Church,  might  enjoy  freedom  of  worship.     The  country  was 
called  Maryland  in  honor  of  the  queen,  Henrietta 
Maria;  and  the  settlement,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Potomac,  received  the  name  of  St.  Mary's. 

71.  Lord  Baltimore  died  before  he  could  revisit  Amer 
ica,  and  the  charter  was  "published  and  confirmed"  in  the 

name  of  his  son,  Cecil  Cal- 
vert,  who  for  forty-three 
years  watched  over  the 
prosperity  of  Maryland. 
Virginia  did  not  willingly 
submit  to  the  dismember 
ment  of  her  territory. 
William  Clayborne,  formerly 
her  secretary  of  state,  had 
occupied  the  Isle  of  Kent, 
in  the  Chesapeake,  with  a 
trading  settlement.  He 
considered  himself  as  within 
the  limits  of  Virginia,  and 
made  armed  resistance  to 

Lord  Baltimore.  .  ,  , 

Lord    Baltimore  s    demand 

for  his  allegiance.  Three  Virginians  and  one  Marylander 
were  killed  in  battle.  Clayborne  was  sent  to  England  to  be 
tried  for  treason,  but  was  acquitted,  though  the  right  of 
Maryland  to  Kent  Island  was  confirmed. 

72.  Clayborne's    Rebellion. — Some   years  later   Clay- 
borne  returned  and  raised  another  insurrection  in  the  district 
which    he    had    once    governed.       Gov.     Leonard    Calvert, 
brother  of  the  proprietor,  was  forced  to  retire,  but  he  soon 
reappeared    with    superior    numbers    and    put    an    end    to 
"Clayborne's  Rebellion." 


NOTES.  47 


73.  The  Calverts. — The  liberal  charter  granted  by 
Lord  Baltimore  drew  crowds  of  settlers  to  the  banks  of  the 
Potomac.  Puritans  expelled  from  Virginia,  prelatists  from 
Massachusetts,  and  refugees  from  all  parts  of  Europe  lived 
together  on  equal  terms.  We  regret  to  record  that  one  party 
of  Protestants  made  an  ungenerous  use  of  their  privileges. 
Resisting  both  the  policy  and  the  rights  of  the  Calverts,  they 
succeeded  in  banishing  all  Catholics  from  the  Assembly. 
Many  years  of  tumult  followed.  In  1691  the  proprietary 
charter  was  revoked,  and  for  twenty-four  years  Maryland 
was  a  royal  province.  In  1715  the  Calvert  family  regained 
their  lands,  which  they  continued  to  govern  until  the  Revo 
lution. 

Point  out  on  Map  No.  3,   Richmond.     Williamsburg.     St.   Mary's. 
The  Isle  of  Kent. 

NOTES. 

1.  Pocahontas  was  born  about  the  year  1595.    The  long  accepted  story, 
that  she  saved  the  life  of  Capt.  John  Smith  by  interposing  her  body  be 
tween  him  and  the  war-clubs  of  the  savages  who  were  about  to  beat  him 
to  death,  is  now  discredited.    This  was  one  of  Smith's  wonderful  stories 
in  his  "General  History."    That  she  was  much  attached  to  Capt.  Smith 
there  is  no  doubt,  for  in  1609  she  made  a  long  and  fatiguing  journey  by 
night  through  the  forest  to  inform  him  of  a  plot  by  her  father  to  murder 
him.    Her  marriage  with   Rolfe,  at  Jamestown,  in  1613,  secured   many 
years  of  peace  between  the  colonists  and  the  Indians.    Professing  Chris 
tianity,  she  was  baptized  as  "Lady  Rebecca."    In  1616  she  accompanied 
her  husband  to  England,  and  was  duly  presented  at  court.    She  was  re 
garded  with  great  interest  and  curiosity.    Pocahontas  died  in  March,  1617, 
leaving  one  son,  Thomas  Rolfe,  who  in  later  years  removed  to  Virginia. 

2.  Sir  "William  Berkeley  was  appointed  Governor  of  Virginia  in  1641, 
and  arrived  at  Jamestown  early  in  1642     Being  a  royalist,  he  was  removed 
from  power  by  Cromwell  in  1651 ;  but,  after  the  Restoration,  he  again  be 
came  governor,  which  position  he  held  until  1677.     Berkeley  demanded 
strict  loyalty  1o  the  civil   powers,  and   conformity  to  the  Established 
Church.    He  "  thanked  God  there  are  no  free  schools,  nor  printing,  in  his 
colony,"  and  "  hoped  there  would  not  be  fora  hundred  years;  for  learning 
has  brought  disobedience  into  the  world,  and  printing  has  divulged  them 
and   libels  against  the  best  governments."     His   leniency   towards  the 
Indians,  who  had  been  committing  all  sorts  of  barbarities,  and  his  se 
verity  with  Bacon  anil  others,  who  opposed  his  Indian  policy,  have  led 
many  to  believe  that  Governor  Berkeley  was  in  collusion  with  the  sav 
ages.    Being  relieved  from  office. by  Sir  Herbert  Jeffreys  in  1677,  he  re 
turned  to  England  under  a  sense  of  disgrace,  and  died  in  a  few  weeks  after 
his  arrival.    (See  Note  4.) 

3.  Nathaniel  Bacon  and  Governor  Berkeley  had  many  bitter  personal 
conflicts,  and  Bacon  was  usually  more  than  a  match  for  the  governor. 
At  the  head  of  200  or  .'><)(>  followers  he  marched  into  Jamestown,  halted  in 
front  of  the  state-house,  where  the  assembly  was  in  session,  and  de- 


48  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


manded  to  see  the  governor.  Berkeley  came  out,  white  with  rage,  and 
fearlessly  went  between  the  lines  of  soldiers  to  where  Bacon  was  stand 
ing;  he  looked  defiant,  and  cried,  "  Here— shoot  me!  Fore  God,  fair 
mark !  Shoot ! "  But  Bacon  replied  calmly,  "  No,  may  it  please  your 
honor, — we  will  not  hurt  a  hair  of  your  head,  nor  of  any  other  man's ;  we 
are  come  for  a  commission  to  save  our  lives  from  the  Indians,  which  you 
have  so  often  promised;  and  now  we  will  have  it  before  we  go! "  And 
he  not  only  got  the  desired  commission,  but  the  assembly  passed  an  act 
of  amnesty  towards  himself  and  his  band  of  rebels.  They  continued, 
however,  to  oppose  the  policy  of  the  governor,  and  engaged  in  a  vigorous 
campaign  against  the  Indians.  Berkeley  once  more  declared  Bacon  an 
outlaw,  and  led  forth  his  militia  to  attack  the  insurgents;  but,  on  ap 
proaching  their  camp,  he  was  dismayed  to  find  most  of  his  men  crying, 
"  Bacon  !  Bacon  !  Bacon  !  "  and  then  going  over  to  the  enemy. 

Bacon  said  "that  it  vexed  him  to  the  heart  that  while  he  was  hunting 
wolves  which  were  destroying  innocent  lambs,  the  governor  should  seek 
to  put  him  like  corn  between  two  mill-stones." 

His  death  occured  in  1676,  and  the  place  of  his  burial  was  kept  secret 
because  Berkeley  had  threatened  to  hang  his  skeleton  in  chains  upon  a 
public  gibbet. 

4.  After  Governor  Berkeley's  removal,  Sir  Herbert  Jeffreys  and  Sir 
Henry  Chicheley  were  the  successive  lieutenant-governors  of  Virginia, 
and  had  the  entire  control  of  affairs  from  1677  to  1680,  when  Lord  Cul- 
pepper  assumed  the  duties  of  his  office. 

5.  Lord  Culpepper  was  pronounced  by  a  writer  of  his  time, "  one  of  the 
most  cunning  and  covetous  men  in  England."    He  was  a  man  of  positive 
character  and  violent  measures.    In  1681  the  planters  in  Virginia  became 
dissatisfied  with  the  extremely  low  prices  paid  for  their  tobacco  ;  and,  in 
order  to  create  a  scarcity  of  supply,  and  enhance  the  value  of  the  remain 
ing  crop,  an  organized  band  went  from  plantation  to  plantation,  hacking 
and  destroying  the  growing  plants.    Returning  from   England  in  the 
midst  of  this  "strike,"  Governor  Culpepper  immediately  ordered  the 
leading  "plant-cutters"  to  be  hung. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PLYMOUTH,    PORTSMOUTH,    AND    DOVER. 

74.  Great   religious   differences   now   existed  in   En 
gland.     King  James,  who  thought  himself  at  least  as  wise  as 
Solomon,   required  all   his   subjects  to   believe  and  worship 
precisely  as  he  did.     A  very  large  party  in  the  nation  dis 
approved  some  observances  of  the  Established  Church,  and 
were  especially   shocked  at  the   Sunday   sports  which  were 
recommended  and  even  enjoined  by  the  king  himself. 

75.  Many  hundreds  of  these  Puritans,1  finding  that  there 
was  no  toleration  for  their  views  in  England,  separated  them 
selves  from  the  Church,  and  as  many  as  were  able  sought  an 
asylum  in  Holland.     They  were   then  called   Separatists  or 
Independents,  while  the  great  mass  of  the  Puritans  remained 
in  the  Church,   though  protesting  against  some  of  its  prac 
tices. 

76.  The  Separatists  in  Holland  were  still  English  at 
heart,    and    were   grieved    to    have    their  children  grow  up 
ignorant  of  the  language  and  customs  of  their  native  land. 
They  resolved,   therefore,   to  seek  homes  in   the   American 
wilderness,  where,  under  English  laws,  they  might  have  free 
dom  to  worship  God  in  the  way  which  seemed  to  them  right. 
From  a  thousand  pilgrims  in   Holland,  a  hundred  were  se 
lected  to  be  founders  of  the  new  state;   and,  after  several 
disasters  and  delays,  they  set  sail  in  September,   1620,  from 
Plymouth,   in  England. 

77.  The   Mayflower. — Though  a  patent  had  been  se 
cured  from  the  London  Company,  it  proved  useless  because 
the  person  in  whose  name  it  was  issued  did  not  go  with  the 

u.  s.  H.-4.  (49) 


50  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

colonists;  so  that  the  little  ship  Mayflower  set  forth  on  her 
voyage  without  warrant  or  charter  from  King,  Parliament, 
or  Company.  Unlike  the  Virginian  adventurers  (§62),  the 
"Pilgrims"2  were  accompanied  by  their  wives  and  children, 
and  expected  to  live  and  die  in  America. 

78.  Founding  of  the  Plymouth  Colony. — Their  aim 
was  the  Hudson  River;  but  after  a  stormy  and  perilous  pas 
sage  of  two  months,  they  came  to  anchor  near  Cape  Cod.3 
Five  weeks  were  spent  in  looking  for  a  suitable  place  for  a 


Dec.  ii,  i62o.4 


Pilgrims  Landing. 

new  home.  At  last  they  came  to  a  safe  though  shallow  har 
bor,  to  which  Captain  Smith  had  already  given  the  name  of 
Plymouth.  This  they  chose,  and  in  remembrance 
of  kindness  received  at  Plymouth,  in  England, 
they  retained  the  name.  Before  going  on  shore,  the  forty- 
one  heads  of  families  solemnly  combined  themselves  into  a 
"civil  body  politic"  to  "enact  such  just  and  equal  laws" 
as  should  be  thought  "convenient  for  the  general  good." 
It  was  the  first  embodiment,  in  fact,  of  the  American  idea 
that  "governments  derive  their  just  powers  from  the  con- 


PL  YMO  UTH  COL  ONY.  51 

sent  of  the  governed."     John  Carver  was  chosen  by  his  as 
sociates  to  be  the  first  governor  of  Plymouth. 

79.  The  First  Winter. — Then  came  a  winter  of  bitter 
suffering,  bravely  borne.     Wolves  howled  about  the  wretched 
cabins,  and  hunger  was  kept  away  only  by  hunting  and  fish 
ing,   which   were  not  always  successful.     Governor   Carver 
and  half   the  little  company  died;    but  of  the  survivors  no 
man  nor  woman  thought  of  returning  with  the  Mayflower. 
Early  in  the  spring  a  strange  voice  was  heard  in  the  village, 
crying  "Welcome,  Englishmen!"     It  was  that  of  Samoset, 
an   Indian   from   beyond   the    Kennebec,    who    had   learned 
some  words  of  English  from  fishermen  who  visited  the  coast 
(§82).     A    neighboring   chief,    Massasoit,    soon    came,    and 
made  a  treaty  of  peace  which  lasted  fifty  years. 

80.  The  powerful  Narragansetts  were  enemies  of  Mas 
sasoit,  and  a  rattlesnake  skin,  stuffed  with  arrows,  was  sent 
as  a  challenge  to  the  colonists.     But  when  Governor  Brad 
ford,  Carver's  successor,  filled  the  skin  with  gunpowder  and 
sent  it  back,  Canonicus  changed  his  mind  and  begged  for 
peace.     Before  the  coming  of  the  Pilgrims,  a  pestilence  had 
swept  away  many  hundreds  of  the  Indians  near  Plymouth, 
so  that  the  tribes,  reduced  to  weakness  and  poverty,  gave  no 
trouble  to  the  colonists. 

81.  For  several  winters   food  was  scarce;    but  when,   in 
1623,  each  settler  began  to  work  for  his  own  family  instead 
of  putting  his  earnings  into  the  common  stock,  plenty  came, 
and  the  white  men  were  soon  able  to  sell  corn  to  the  Indians. 
Though  only  forty  miles  distant  from  the  richer  and  stronger 
settlements  about  Boston,   and  possessing  no  charter  of  its 
own,   Plymouth  remained   independent  until   1692,   when  it 
became  part  of  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay. 

82.  Maine. — Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  governor  of  Plym 
outh  in  England,  was  a  man  of  great  wealth  and  influence, 
and  a  chief  promoter  of  colonization  in  New  England.     In 


52  HISTORY  OF   THE   UNITED  STATES. 

partnership  with  John  Mason,  former  governor  in  Newfound 
land,  he  obtained  a  tract  of  land  extending  from  the  St. 
Lawrence  to  the  ocean,  and  from  the  Merrimac  to  the  Ken- 
nebec  River;5  and,  in  1623,  sent  out  companies  of  emigrants 
to  find  homes  where  now  stand  the  flourishing  cities  of 
Portsmouth  and  Dover,  in  New  Hampshire.6  But  though 
among  the  oldest  towns  in  the  United  States,  these  places 
were  little  more  than  fishing  stations  for  many  years  from 
their  foundation;  and,  in  1642,  the  people  between  the  Mer 
rimac  and  Piscataqua  annexed  themselves  by  a  free  vote  to 
the  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay. 

83.  Conflicting  Grants. — Many  scattered  settlements 
were  formed  along  the  coast  of  Maine,  and  so  many  con 
flicting  grants  were  made  by  the  crown  that  no  lawyer  could 
reconcile  them.  The  noble  rivers  and  safe  harbors  had 
attracted  attention,  as  promising  wealth  through  commerce. 
Few  attempts  were  made  at  farming,  for  titles  were  insecure, 
and  the  nearness  of  the  French  threatened  frequent  hostil 
ities.  Moreover,  furs  could  be  taken  from  the  forest  and 
fish  from  the  sea  without  leave  asked  of  any  company.  So 
it  happened  that  the  English  settlers  were  little  more  than 
scattered  companies  of  adventurers.  The  ' '  first  court  ever 
duly  organized  on  the  soil  of  Maine"  was  held  at  Saco,  in 
1636,  by  William  Gorges,  nephew  of  the  proprietor.  The 
land  between  the  St.  Croix  and  the  St.  Lawrence  had  been 
given  by  James  I.  to  Sir  William  Alexander,7  a  Scottish 
poet,  and  it  was  called  Nova  Scotia,  from  his  native  land; 
but  the  French  already  occupied  the  same  region,  to  the 
southern  part  of  which  they  gave  the  name  of  Acadta*  and 
it  did  not  become  a  British  possession  until  a  much  later 
date. 

Point  out  on  Map  No.  3,  Cape  Cod.  Plymouth.  Portsmouth.  Dover. 
The  boundaries  of  Gorges  and  Mason's  patent  ($82).  Saco.  Casco 
Bay.  The  Penobscot.  The  Kennebec.  The  original  boundaries  of 
Nova  Scotia  (§83). 


NOTES.  53 


NOTES. 

1.  The  Puritans.— The  term  "  Puritans  "  was  first  applied  by  way  of  de 
rision,  in  1564,  to  a  large  body  of  non-conformists  in  England  who  were 
not  satisfied  with  the  extent  of  the  reformation  in  church  affairs  brought 
about  by  Henry  VIII.    They  insisted  upon  a  still  further  departure  from 
the  Church  of  Rome,  and  the  introduction  of  purer  forms  of  worship  in 
the  Established  Church.    They  were  loyal  to  the  throne,  and  always  had 
at  heart  the  best  interests  of  the  Protestants.    But  they  were  rigid  Calvin- 
ists, — men  ot  austere  morality  yet  strong  integrity, — and  no  civil  power 
could  make  them  yield  a  tithe  of  their  convictions.    They  willingly  suf 
fered   death   at   the  stake  for  their  principles.     During   the  reigns  of 
Edward  VI.,  Elizabeth,  James  I.,  and  Charles  I.,  the  Puritans  gradually 
increased  in  numbers  and  influence.    With  Cromwell  and  the  Common 
wealth,  they  came  into  complete  control  of  the  government. 

2.  Pilgrims.— This  name  has  been  applied  to  such  of  the  Puritans  or  Sep 
aratists  as  could  no  longer  endure  the  interference  of  the  national  church 
in  their  spiritual  affairs,  and  who  for  conscience'  sake  left  their  homes  in 
England  to  seek  lands  where  they  might  worship  God  after  their  own 
manner.    Their  wanderings  give  them  their  distinguishing  name.    They 
had  been  told  that  in  Holland  there  was  "  freedom  for  all  men."    The  first 
band  of  Pilgrims,  under  the  direction  of  John  Robinson  and  William 
Brewster,  reached  Amsterdam  in  1608.    The  next  year  they  removed  to 
Leyden,  and  many  followed  them  from  various  parts  of  England.    Ban 
croft  says  of  the  Pilgrims :  "  They  were  Englishmen,  Protestants,  exiles 
for  conscience,  men  disciplined  by  misfortune,  cultivated  by  opportuni 
ties  of  extensive  observation,  equal  in  rank  as  in  rights,  and  bound  by  no 
code  but  that  of  religion  or  the  public  will." 

3.  The  first  landing  of  the  "  Mayflower"  Pilgrims  was  November  llth, 
on  Cape  Cod,  near  the  site  of  the  present  Provincetown.    Captain  Miles 
Standish,  with  sixteen  men,  went  on  shore  and  explored  the  dreary, 
narrow  strip  of  sand.    Some  distance  inland  they  had  their  first  sight  of 
Indians.    On  December  llth  an  exploring  party  of  seventeen  men  landed 
at  Plymouth,  but  it  was  two  weeks  later  before  the  passengers  generally 
disembarked  upon  "  Forefather's  Rock."    Indeed,  most  of  the  women 
and  children  remained  on  board  the  vessel  until  a  rude  shelter  was  pro 
vided  for  them  on  the  land. 

4.  This  was  December  21st  according  to  our  present  calendar.    In  the 
seventeenth  century  the  difference  between  Old  Style  and  New  Style  was 
ten  days.    In  England,  however,  the  old  style  method  of  reckoning  dates 
was  continued  until  1752,  when,  by  act  of  Parliament,  the  error  was  cor 
rected.    By  adding  ten  days  to  the  dates  given  in  the  text  regarding  the 
movements  of  the  Pilgrims,  we  get  the  true  dates,  new  style. 

5.  This  tract  probably  took  its  name,  Maine  (or  the  main-land),  to  dis 
tinguish  it  from  the  many  islands  along  the  coast. 

6.  New  Hampshire  was  so  named  by  Mason  in  remembrance  of  his 
old  home,  Hampshire,  in  England. 

7.  Sir  William  Alexander  gained  little,  beside  the  subject  of  a  rather 
dull  poem,  from  his  vast  domain;  his  family  afterward  settled  in  New 
York,  and  his  descendant  and  namesake,  William  Alexander,  Lord  Stir 
ling,  bore  an  honorable  part  in  the  war  of  American  Independence. 

8.  A  cadi  a  was  granted  by  King  Henry  IV.  to  the  Huguenot,  De  Monts, 
in  1604.    Besides  the  peninsula  of  Nova  Scotia,  it  included  all  of  New 
Brunswick  and  a  part  of  Maine.    De  Monts  was  made  lieutenant-general 
of  the  country,  and  at  once  sailed  with  a  company  to  colonize  his  new 
possessions.    Champlain  and  the  Baron  de  Poutrincourt  accompanied  the 
expedition.    They  settled  first  upon  the  little  island  of  St.  Croix,  in  Passa- 
maquoddy  Bay,  but  a  few  weeks  residence  served  to  show  the  disadvan 
tages  of  the  location.    Cruising  along  the  coast  of  Maine,  they  entered 
many  of  its  noble  bays  and  rivers,  and  were  delighted  with  the  land ;  but 
at  all  points  they  found  the  Indians  hostile,  and  reluctantly  returned  to 
St.  Croix.    Thence,  in  a  short  time,  they  crossed  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  and 
chose  a  place  of  settlement,  to  which  the  name  Port  Royal  was  given. 
The  site  was  the  same  as  the  present  town  of  Annapolis,  Nova  Scotia, 


54  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES, 


The  opening  lines  of  Longfellow's  beautiful  poem,  "  Evangeline,"  are 
descriptive  of  the  region  of  Acadia : 

•'  This  is  the  forest  primeval.    The  murmuring  pines  and  the  hemlocks, 
Bearded  with  moss,  and  in  garments  green,  indistinct  in  the  twilight, 
Stand  like  druids  of  eld,  with  voices  sad  and  prophetic, 
Stand  like  harpers  hoar,  with  beards  that  rest  on  their  bosoms. 
Loud  from  its  rocky  caverns,  the  deep-voiced  neighboring  ocean 
Speaks,  and  in  accents  disconsolate  answers  the  wail  of  the  forest. 

In  the  Acadian  land,  on  the  shores  of  the  Basin  of  Minas, 
Distant,  secluded,  still,  the  little  village  of  Grand-Pre 
Lay  in  the  fruitful  valley.    Vast  meadows  stretched  to  the  eastward, 
Giving  the  village  its  name,  and  pasture  to  flocks  without  number. 
Dikes,  that  the  hands  of  the  farmers  had  raised  with  labor  incessant, 
Shut  out  the  turbulent  tides ;  but  at  stated  seasons  the  flood-gates 
Opened,  and  welcomed  the  sea  to  wander  at  will  o'er  the  meadows. 
West  and  south  there  were  fields  of  flax,  and  orchards  and  cornfields 
Spreading  afar  and  unfenced  o'er  the  plain  ;  and  away  to  the  northward 
Blomidon  rose,  and  the  forests  old,  and  aloft  on  the  mountains 
Sea-fogs  pitched  their  tents,  and  mists  from  the  mighty  Atlantic 
Looked  on  the  happy  valley,  but  ne'er  from  their  station  descended." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MASSACHUSETTS,    CONNECTICUT,    AND    RHODE    ISLAND. 

84.  Salem    Colony. — Eight  years  and  more  after  the 
settlement  at   Plymouth,   five   vessels,   bearing  two   hundred 
English  emigrants,  entered  the  harbor  of  Salem,1  in  Massa 
chusetts    Bay.     Their   governor,  John   Endicott* 

had  preceded  them,  and  had  selected  a  place  for 
their  settlement  a  year  before.  The  new-comers  were  Pu 
ritans,  but  not  Separatists:  they  believed  in  the  union  of 
Church  and  State,  and  the  authority  of  the  civil  govern 
ment  in  matters  of  religion;  but  they  availed  themselves  of 
their  freedom  to  drop  the  usages  of  the  Church  of  England, 
and  there  was  little  apparent  difference  between  them  and 
their  neighbors  at  Plymouth. 

85.  The     Charter. — The    next    year    seventeen    ships 
brought  a  thousand  more  emigrants,  with  horses,  cattle,  and 
whatever  was  needed  for  prosperous  farming.     A  royal  char 
ter3  for  all  the  new  settlements  on  Massachusetts  Bay  gave 
them  leave  to  make  their  own  laws  and  choose  their  own 
rulers,  so  long  as  they  did  nothing  contrary  to  the  statutes 
of  England.     Among  them  were  men  of  wealth,  influence, 
and  high  education,  who,  distrusting  their  king,  thought  to 
build  up  better  homes  for  their  children  in  the  New  World. 
Their  chosen  leader  was  John  Winthrop,  a  man  of  noble  char 
acter,   who  continued  to  be  either  governor  or  deputy-gov 
ernor  of  the  whole  colony  for  twenty  years,  until  his  death. 

86.  Towns  ahout  Boston. — Reports  of  the  peace  and 
order  to  be  enjoyed  in  Massachusetts,  drew  increasing  crowds 
of  colonists.     Before  1640  many  towns  were  planted:  Rox- 
bury,  Dorchester,  Lynn,  Charlestown,  Watertown,  and  others. 

(55) 


56  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

Shawmut,  or  Boston/  was  chosen,  for  its  "fountain  of  sweet 
waters"  and  its  admirable  harbor,  to  be  the  capital  of  the 
colony.  Each  separate  settlement  had  its  town  meeting,  in 
which  every  "freeman"  voted  for  magistrates  and  delegates 
to  the  General  Court.  Every  township  was  required  to 
maintain  a  school  for  reading  and  writing;  every  town  of  a 
hundred  householders  must  also  have  a  Latin  and  Grammar 
School;  and  heads  of  families  were  subject  to  fines  if  they 
failed  to  have  their  children  and  apprentices  taught. 

87.  Harvard    College. — A    college,5    the    first    in    the 
United  States,  was  established  at  Newtown,  whose  name  was 

now  altered  to  Cambridge,  in  memory  of  the  En- 

A.  D.  1638.  ... 

ghsh  university-town,  where  most  of  the  educated 
men  in  the  colony  had  spent  their  years  of  study.  To  en 
dow  the  new  college,  all  the  people  brought  such  things  as 
they  had.  Those  who  could  do  no  more,  gave  a  peck  of 
corn  yearly.  Many  gave  pieces  of  silver  plate,  and  one  rich 
man  gave  a  flock  of  sheep.  The  Reverend  John  Harvard 
bequeathed  to  it  all  his  books  and  half  his  estate,  and  it  has 
ever  since  borne  his  name.  The  first  printing-press6  within 
the  present  limits  of  the  United  States  was  set  up  in  the 
president's  house  in  1639.  Its  first  publications  were  the 
"Freeman's  Oath"  and  a  "New  England  Almanac." 

88.  Settlements  on  Connecticut  River. — Reports  of 
the  rich  lands  in  the  Connecticut  Valley  soon  reached  the 
settlers   on   the   coast.     As   early   as   1633  a  company  from 
Plymouth   built  a  fort  at    Windsor,   on  that  river,  and  com 
menced   a   fur    trade   with    the    Indians.     Two  years  later, 
parties  of  emigrants  from  Massachusetts  Bay  laid  the  foun 
dations  of  Hartford,    Wcthersfield,   and   Springfield.     In  June 
of  1636,  a  hundred  persons,  led  by  Rev.  Thomas  Hooker,7 
whose  sick  wife  was  carried  on  a  litter  beside  him,  marched 
through  the  woods,   driving  their  cattle  and  flocks  to  these 
far  western  settlements. 


RELIGIOUS  DIFFERENCES,  57 

89.  Settlements  on  Long  Island  Sound. — Two  En 
glish  noblemen,  Lord  Say  and  Lord  Brook,  who  had  them 
selves   thought   of   settling   in    America,    sent    the    younger 
Winthrop,  son  of  the  Massachusetts  governor,  to  establish  a 
fort  and  garrison  at  the  mouth  of  the  Connecticut.      (A.  D. 
1635.)     It  was  called  Say  brook.      Guilford,  Milford,  Stratford, 
and   other   towns   with   English   names  were  soon  scattered 
along  the  Sound.     New  Haven*  was  founded  in   1638  by  a 
company  of  Puritans  from  England.     John  Davenport,9  their 
pastor,  preached  to  them  under  a  spreading  oak.     The  Bible 
was  their  only  law-book,  and  members  of  the  church  their 
only  freemen. 

90.  Religious  Intolerance. — Having  crossed  the  ocean 
at  great  cost  and  sacrifice  for  the  sake  of  enjoying  a  perfect 
and  peaceful  society,  the  rulers  of  Massachusetts  Bay  had  no 
tolerance  for  opinions  different  from  their  own — less,  indeed, 
than  had  the  Pilgrims  of    Plymouth,   who  had  suffered  yet 
more  for  conscience'  sake,  and  knew  the  hearts  of  strangers 
and  exiles  from  their  own  experience  in  Holland  (§§75,  76). 

91.  The  magistrates  of  Massachusetts  Bay  held  themselves 
responsible,  not  only  for   the   orderly  conduct,   but  for  the 
right   belief   and   character   of   every    soul    in    the    colony. 
They  believed  that  they  had  gone  just  far  enough  in  their 
withdrawal  from  the   English   Church.      Those  who  lagged 
behind  them  were  regarded  with  suspicion;  but  their  heav 
iest  penalties  were  reserved  for  those  who  went  beyond  them 
in  the  direction  of  "soul-liberty." 

ga.«  Roger  Williams,10  the  eloquent  and  faithful  young 
minister  of  Salem,  taught  that  every  man  is  answerable  for 
his  belief  to  God  alone,  and  that  governments  have  no  right 
to  interfere  in  matters  of  religion.  He  insisted,  moreover, 
on  the  payment  of  the  Indians  for  their  lands,  while  the 
rulers  claimed  that  their  charter  from  King  Charles  was  a 
sufficient  title.  For  these  and  other  differences  of  opinion, 


58  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Williams  was  exiled  from  the  colony,  and,  having  wandered 
fourteen  weeks  in  cold  and  hunger  through  the  wintry  forests, 

he  reached  the  lands  of  the  Narragansetts  (§80). 

Their  chief,  Canonicus,  received  him  with  affec 
tion,  and  gave  him  a  tract  of  land;  here,  with  five  compan 
ions,  he  began  the  settlement  of  Providence^  and  "desired 
it  might  be  a  shelter  for  persons  distressed  for  conscience." 

93.  Rhode  Island. — Many  such  persons  lived  in  those 
days,  and  of   them   Mrs.   Anne  Hutchinson,12  a  woman  of 
great  gifts  and  independent   spirit,   an  exile,  like  Williams, 
from    Massachusetts   Bay;    William    Coddington,    a    former 
magistrate  of  that  colony,  but  a  steady  opponent  of  persecu 
tion;  John  Clarke,  William  Aspinwall,  and  many  others  re 
paired    to    the    Narragansett    country.       They    bought    the 
beautiful   island   of   Rhode    Island   for    '  *  forty    fathoms   of 
white  beads,"   and  there,  in    1638,    Newport  was  founded. 

94.  The  Pequod  War. — Roger  Williams  had  an  early 
opportunity   to   do  good  to   those   who   had   wronged  him. 
The  settlers  in  Connecticut  had  for  neighbors  the  Pequods, 
the  most  powerful  and  hostile  of  New  England  savages,  who, 
enraged  by  the  intrusion  of  the  white  men,  tried  to  engage 
the   Narragansetts   and   Mohegans   in  a  league  for  their  de 
struction.      The    governor    and    council    of    Massachusetts 
wrote   to  Williams,'  who   lost   not  a  moment,  but,   crossing 
Narragansett  Bay  during  a  tempest,  in  an  open  boat,  met  the 
Pequod  chiefs  in  the  wigwam  of  Canonicus,  and,  after  three 
days  and  nights  of  violent  discussion,  persuaded  th'e  latter 
not  to  grant  their  request. 

95.  The  Pequods  had  to   fight  the  English  without  aid; 
and  in  May,   1637,   the  destruction  of  their  fort  at  Stoning- 
ton  by  only  sixty  men  from  Hartford,  led  to  the  extermina 
tion  of  their  tribe.     The  few   who  surrendered  themselves 
were    made    slaves,    and    for    forty    years    no    serious    war 
troubled  the  New  England  settlements. 


UNION  OF  COLONIES.  59 

96.  The  State  of   Connecticut.— In   1639,   Hartford, 
Windsor,   and  Wethersfield  joined   themselves  in  one  state 
under  the  first  written  constitution  which  was  ever  framed  in 
America.     In   1641   Massachusetts  also  adopted  a  "body  of 
liberties," — a  code  of  well-tried  laws,  securing  to  every  per 
son,  whether  resident  or  stranger,  prompt  and  equal  justice 
in  the  courts.     The  education  of  all  children,  the  training  of 
young  men  in  military  exercises,   and  the  security  of  town 
meetings  were  among  the  chief  cares  of  the  law-makers. 

97.  In   1643  a  league   of  the  four  governments, — Mas 
sachusetts,    Connecticut,    New    Haven,    and    Plymouth — was 
formed   under   the   name  of  the  United   Colonies   of  New 
England.     Providence   and    the   neighboring   settlement   on 
Rhode  Island  were  not  admitted,  because  they  refused  to  be 
subject  to  Plymouth.     But  the  League  lasted  forty  years,  and 
was  of  great  importance  as  a  precedent  for  a  more  extensive 
Union. 

98.  The  Charter  of  Rhode  Island. — In  1644,  Roger 
Williams,    visiting    England,    obtained    from    Parliament    a 
"free  and  absolute  charter  of  civil  government  for  the  plan 
tations  on  Narragansett  Bay,"  with  full  power  to  rule  them 
selves   ' '  by  such  laws  as  they  should  find  most  suitable  to 
their  estate  and  condition."     The  system  chosen  was  a  pure 
democracy;  farmers  and  shepherds  met  on  the  sea-shore  or 
under  some  spreading  tree,  and  discussed  plans  for  the  gen 
eral  good;  and  though  all  shades  of  opinion  were  represented 
in  the  colony,  and  debate  was  often  violent,  the  result  was 
one  of  the  most  wise,  liberal,  and  merciful  governments  that 
the  world  has  seen.     No  person  was  ever  disquieted  or  called 
in  question  for  his  religion;    the  best  men  were  elected  to 
office;  and  the  seal  of  the  new  state  expressed  the  principle 
of  its  constitution, — "Love  will  conquer  all  things." 

99.  Society  of  Friends. — In  1656  the  first  "Friends" 
or  "Quakers,"13  arrived  at  Boston,   a  people  who,  notwith- 


60  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


standing  their  pure,  peaceful,  and  upright  characters,  were 
destined  to  be  the  occasion  of  great  disturbances.  They 
thought  it  their  duty  to  protest  against  a  paid  ministry,  civil 
oaths,  military  service,  and  several  other  established  customs 
of  society.  Their  consciences  were,  if  possible,  more  exact 
ing  than  those  of  the  Puritan  rulers,  and  on  these  points 
they  were  directly  opposed  to  them.  When  they  refused  to 
leave  the  colony  peaceably,  they  were  publicly  whipped  and 
sent  away;  some  were  imprisoned;  four,  who  persisted  in 
returning  after  exile,  were  hanged  on  Boston  Common. 
Two  children,  whose  parents  had  been  banished,  were  fined 
for  non-attendance  at  meeting;  being  too  poor  to  pay  the 
fine,  they  were  ordered  to  be  sold  as  slaves  in  the  Barba- 
does.  We  are  glad  to  find  that  no  ship-master  could  be 
induced  to  execute  the  commission,  so  that  the  order  was 
never  enforced.  A  large  number  in  every  community  dis 
approved,  and  sometimes  protested  against  acts  of  intoler 
ance,  so  that  the  sin  of  persecution  can  not  be  charged  upon 
the  mass  of  the  people. 

100.  John   Eliot. — The  people  of  New  England  were, 
as  a  rule,  both  just  and  merciful  toward  the  Indians.     Never 
a  bushel   of  corn  was   taken   from   them  without  payment; 
and  offenses  against  them  were  punished  by  the  courts,  if 
possible  with  greater  severity  than  if  the  victims  had  been 
whites.      Many  good  ministers  were  at  great  pains  to  teach 
them  the  truths  of  religion:  among  these  the  most  celebrated 
was  the   Reverend   John    Eliot,1-   the    "Apostle   of   the   In 
dians." 

101.  Praying  Indians, — He  translated  the  whole  Bible, 
as  well  as  other  books,  into  their  native  language.     As  the 
number  of  his  disciples  increased,  he  gathered  them  into  the 
villages  of  Nonantum,  Natick,  and  Neponset,  where  he  taught 
them  to  support  themselves  by  useful  labor,  and  to  live  under 
civilized  laws   which  he  wrote  for  them  out  of  the   Bible. 


KING  PHILIP'S  WAR.  61 


These  "praying  Indians"  numbered  at  one  time  four  thou 
sand  souls.  They  were  never  fully  trusted,  however,  by  the 
whites,  while  they  were  regarded  with  suspicion  and  hatred 
by  their  own  people. 

102.  King  Philip's  War. — Metacom,  commonly  called 
Philip,   chief  of  the  Pokanokets,   did   not   share  his  father, 
Massassoit's,   friendship   for  the  whites.      He   saw   them   en 
croaching  more  and  more  upon  the  lands  of  his  people,  and 
in   1674,   fourteen  years  after  his  accession,   the  smothered 
flames   of   his   revenge   burst   forth.       Most    of    the   savage 
tribes  joined  him  in  a  grand  effort  to  destroy  the  English. 
Terror  spread  along  all  the  borders  of  the  white  settlements 
from   Connecticut   to   Maine.      Farm-houses  were   surprised, 
women  and  little  children  murdered,  and  of  all  the  men  in 
the   colonies  one  in   twenty   fell   in   battle.     The  Christian 
Indians  were  faithful  to  their  teachers,  and  warned  them  re 
peatedly   of  the  coming  danger.     But  in  spite  of  their  in 
valuable  services,  it  is  sad  to  relate  that  they  were  treated 
with  suspicion  and  contempt,  and  even  murdered  by  white 
women   who   were   filled   with  rage   at   the  sight  of  a  dark 
face.     Eliot  and  his  friend  Daniel  Gookin,  for  thirty  years 
Indian   superintendent   in   the   Massachusetts  colony,  pleaded 
for  reason  and  justice  against  the  popular  fury. 

103.  On  the  part  of  the  heathen  Indians,  it  was  a  war  of 
desperation  without  hope.     Canonchet,   chief  of  the  Narra- 
gansetts,    an   ally   of   Philip,   was   taken  and   put   to   death. 
Philip   was  driven   from  his  lands;    his  wife  and   son  were 
captives.      "My    heart   breaks;    now    I   am  ready   to   die," 
cried   the    chief,    when    he    heard   of   their   fate.     His   own 
people  plotted  against  him,  and  he  fell  by  a  traitor's  bullet. 
His  only  son  was  sold  as  a  slave  in  the  Bermudas.      Peace 
was  not  restored  until  1678,  when  two  thousand  Indians  had 
been  destroyed,15  and   the  scattered  remnants  of   the  tribes 
were  unable  longer  to  resist  ihe  whites. 


62  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Point,  on  Map  No.  3,  to  the  several  towns  near  Massachusetts  Bay. 
The  site  of  Harvard  College.     Eight  towns  in  Connecticut. 

Read   Palfrey's   "History  of  New  England;"    Neal's  "History  of 
the  Puritans." 

NOTES. 

1.  Salem  is  a  Hebrew  word  meaning  peaceful.    The  Indian  name  for  the 
same  locality  was  Naurnkeag.    lloger  Coriaiit   and    three  companions, 
"  religious,  sober,  and  well  affected  persons,"  left  the  Plymouth  colony  in 
1625,  and,  stopping  for  awhile  on  Naiitasket   beach,  finally  settled  at 
Nauiukeag  in  1627.    Conant  was  disposed  to  dispute  the  authority  of  En- 
dicott  upon  his  arrival,  but  a  peaceful  adjustment  of  the  controversy  was 
effected ;  hence  the  name,  Salem,  was  chosen. 

2.  "  Governor  Endicott,"  says  Bancroft,  "  was  a  man  of  dauntless 
courage,  and  that  cheerfulness  which  accompanies  courage;  benevolent, 
though  austere;  firm,  though  choleric;  of  a  rugged  nature,  which  his 
stern  principles  of  non-conformity  had  not  served  to  mellow."    For  forty 
years  he  played  a  prominent  part  in  the  colonial  history  of  New  England. 

3.  This  royal  charter  created  a  corporation  styled  "  The  Governor  and 
Company  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New  England,"  and  by  this  instru 
ment  the  Massachusetts  colony  regulated  its  affairs  for  more  than  half  a 
century.    The  granting  of  this  charter  was  regarded   by  the  Puritans 
throughout  England  as  a  providential  call  to  them  to  escape  the  religious 
fetters  by  which  they  were  bound,  and  to  seek  new  homes  in  that  free  land 
of  the  west,  where  they  could  worship  God  without  restraint.    Massachu 
setts  began  to  be  talked  about  in  every  Puritan  household,  and  plans  were 
quietly  laid  by  the  heads  of  families  to  Join  the  tide  of  emigration  at  an 
early  day.    These  resolute  men  saw  that  their  long  struggle  for  freedom  in 
England  had  been  a  failure,  and  now  their  grievances  were  greater  than 
ever  under  the  tyrannies  of  Archbishop  Laud.    Even  closer  conformity 
to  the  Established  Church  was  required ;  Puritan  clergymen  were  ejected 
from  their  livings,  and  persecution  met  them  at  every  turn.    These  things 
easily  account  for  the  rapid  accessions  to  the  Salem  colony,  and  to  the 
others  that  soon  sprang  up  around   the  shores  of   Massachusetts  Bay. 
Within  ten  years  from  the  arrival  of  Winthrop's  expedition,  it  is  thought 
no  less  than  20,000  Englishmen  came  to  America. 

4.  Boston. — The  earliest  settlement  was  made  in  the  fall  of  1630  by  some 
of  John  Winthrop's  party,  who  had  first  located  at  Mishawum   (now 
Charlestown).     William  Blackstone  had  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Shawmut 
since  1628,  .and  two  other  Englishmen  had  for  some  time  occupied  a  couple 
of  islands  in  the  harbor;  but  these  were  the  only  white  men  in  the  region 
before  Winthrop  «ame.    The  settlement  was  called  "  Boston,"  in  compli 
ment  to  the  Rev.  John  Cotton,  who  had  been  vicar  in  Boston,  Lincoln 
shire,  England,  from  which  locality  many  of  the  leading  colonists  had 
come. 

5.  Harvard  College.— In  1636  the  general  court  of  the  colony  of  Mas 
sachusetts  Bay  voted  "  the  sum  of  four  hundred  pounds  to  form  a  school 
or  college."    One  half  the  amount  was  not  to  be  paid  until  the  building 
was  completed.    The  management  of  the  institution  was  intrusted  to  a 
Board  of  Overseers.    The  Jesuit  Fathers  at  Quebec  began  a  structure  for  a 
seminary  and  college  in  1637,  one  year  before  the  foundations  of  Harvard 
were  laid. 

6.  This  was  not  the  first  printing-press  in  America.    As  early  as  1535, 
Catholic  priests  set  up  a  press  in  the  city  of  Mexico ;  a  second  one  was 
in  operation  at  Lima,  Peru,  in  1580. 

7.  Thomas  Hooker,  "  the  light  of  the  Western  Churches,"  was  born  in 
Leicestershire,  England,  in  1586.    He  was  a  cousin  of  the  celebrated  divine, 
Richard  Hooker.    His  sermons  being  offensive  to  Archbishop  Laud,  he 
was  compelled  to  stop  preaching  in  England,  and  commenced  teaching. 
For  three  years  he  preached  with  great  power  to  the  Puritan  refugees  at 


NOTES.  63 


Delft  and  Rotterdam.  In  1636  he  emigrated  to  New  England  with  his 
fellow  pastors,  Cotton  and  Stone.  He  and  Rev.  Mr.  Stone  were  associ 
ated  in  their  work  for  several  years,  both  at  Newtown  (now  Cambridge) 
and  Hartford.  Hooker  died  at  Hartford  in  1647.  We  cite  a  few  lines  from 
Bancroft  touching  the  pilgrimage  of  Hooker  and  his  one  hundred  com 
panions  to  their  new  homes  :  "  Traversing  on  foot  the  pathless  forest,  they 
drove  before  them  numerous  herds  of  cattle;  advancing  hardly  ten  miles 
a  day  through  tangled  woods,  across  the  valleys,  swamps,  and  numerous 
streams,  and  over  the  intervening  highlands;  subsisting  on  the  milk  of 
the  kine,  which  browsed  on  the  fresh  leaves  and  early  shoots  ;  having  no 
guide  through  the  pathless  wild  but  the  compass,  and  no  pillow  for  their 
nightly  rest  but  heaps  of  stones.  How  did  the  hills  echo  with  the  un 
wonted  lowing  of  herds?  ....  Never  again  was  there  such  a  pilgrim 
age  from  the  seaside  to  '  the  delightful  banks '  of  the  Connecticut." 

8.  New  Haven.— The  Indian  village  at  this  point  was  Quinnipiack. 
The  colonists  paid  the  natives  for  a  large  tract,  "  twelve  coats  of  English 
cloth,  twelve  alchemy  spoons,  twelve  hatchets,  twelve  hoes,  two  dozen 
knives,  twelve  porringers,  and  four  cases  of  French  knives  arid  scissors." 

9.  John  Davenport  (&.  1598,  d.  1670)  preached  at  New  Haven  for  thirty 
years,  and  then  removed  to  Boston.    He  had  been  a  noted  Puritan  minis 
ter  in  London,  and  because  of  the  success  of  his  labors  in  behalf  of  poor 
congregations  he  met  with  the  opposition  of  Archbishop  Laud,  and  was 
obliged  to  flee  to  Holland.    After  four  years  residence  there  he  came  to 
America.    He  exerted  a  strong  influence  in  the  civil  as  well  as  the  re 
ligious  affairs  of  his  community.     Davenport  was  an   intense   contro 
versialist,  but  liis  integrity  and  ability  are  conceded  by  all  who  were 
familiar  with  his  life. 

10.  Roger  "Williams  was  born  in  Wales,  about  1606,  passed  with  honors 
through  Oxford  University,  England,  was  for  a  time  minister  in  the  Es 
tablished  Church,  but  soon  joined  the  ranks  of  the  Puritans.    He  was  a 
fine  linguist,  being  versed  in  Latin,  Greek,  and  Hebrew,  besides  several 
modern  languages.   This  bent  of  his  mind  led  him,  soon  after  his  arrival  in 
New  England,  to  study  the  dialects  of  the  neighboring  Indian  tribes.    He 
became  a  master  of  the  speech  of  the  Narragansetts,  whose  language  was 
understood  by  all  of  the  Massachusetts  Indians  and  by  most  of  the  tribes 
to  the  west  and  south.    Williams  reached  Boston  early  in  1631,  and  in  a 
few  weeks  was  called  as  pastor  over  the  church  at  Salem.    Being  a  Sepa 
ratist  of  most  decided  views,  he  had  refused  to  join  the  church  at  Boston 
unless  it  would  publicly  repent  of  having  held  communion  in  the  past 
with  the  Church  of  England.    This  defiant  stand  provoked  at  once  the 
ire  of  the  council,  and  the  magistrates  made  it  so  uncomfortable  for  him 
that  lie  concluded  to  remove  to  the  Plymouth  Colony,  where  he  had 
reason  to  believe  the  right  of  individual  opinion  was  upheld.    Williams 
remained  in  Plymouth  only  two  years,  however,  and  then  returned  to 
Salem.    In  1635  he  was  banished  from  the  colony  by  sentence  of  the  Gen 
eral  Court  for  teaching: 

1st.  That  the  title  of  the  Massachusetts  Company,  from  the  king,  to  its 
lands,  was  not  valid,  but  that  the  Indians  were  the  true  owners. 

2d.  That  it  was  "  not  lawful  to  call  a  wicked  person  to  swear,  [or]  to  pray, 
as  being  actions  of  God's  worship." 

3d.  That  it  was  wrong  to  listen  to  any  of  the  ministers  of  the  Parish 
Assemblies  in  England. 

4th.  That  the  civil  power  had  no  authority  over  the  opinions  of  men. 

A  warrant  was  issued  to  seize  Mr.  Williams  and  convey  him  to  England 
for  trial,  but  when  the  officer  reached  Salem  the  offending  pastor  had  fled. 
He  went  directly  among  his  old  friends,  the  Indians,  and  was  received 
with  kindness  by  the  chiefs.  Although  Canonicus  freely  offered  him  the 
tract  of  land  on  which  the  colony  of  Providence  was  planted,  Williams 
insisted  upon  paying  a  fair  price  for  it.  He  was  president  of  the  colony 
from  1654  to  1657,  and  from  its  foundation  had  been  the  inspiring  genius 
Of  its  good  fortunes.  He  was  independent  in  spirit,  wise  in  counsel,  bold 
in  action,  forgiving  in  disposition,  and  upright  in  principle.  A  writer  of 
his  day  judges  Roger  Williams  from  "the  whole  course  and  tenor  of  his 
life  arid  conduct  to  have  been  one  of  the  most  disinterested  men  that  ever 
lived, — a  most  pious  and  heavenly-minded  soul." 

His  death  occurred  at  Providence,  in  1083. 


64  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


11.  Providence  was  so  called  by  Roger  Williams  in  recognition  of  the 
sustaining  Proviilence  that  had  preseryed  him  amidst  so  many  dangers 
and  trials,  and  guided  him  at  last  to  this  selected  spot.    The  incorporated 
name  of  the  colony,  according  to  the  royal  charter,  was  "  Providence 
Plantations  in  Narragansett  Bay  in  New  England." 

12.  Anne  Hutchinson  removed  from  Rhode  Island,  in  1642,  to  New 
Netherlands,  and  the  next  year,  with  all  her  family  but  one  child,  was 
murdered  by  the  Indians.    She  was  a  second-cousin  of  the  poet  Dryden. 

13.  The  Quakers,  or  Religious  Society  of  Friends,  had  their  origin  in 
the  preaching  of  George  Fox,  of  Leicestershire,  England,  who  was  born 
in  1024  and  died  in  1691.    They  were  called  "Quakers"  because  Fox  ad 
monished  them  to  tremble  at  the  word  of  God.    Like  the  Puritans,  they 
were  the  outgrowth  of  the  independent  religious  movements  of  the  sev 
enteenth  century.    But  in  their  departure  from  the  prescribed  worship 
of  the  state  they  were  not,  like  the  Puritans,  intolerant  towards  those 
who  did  not  exactly  agree  with  them.    Fox,  the  founder  of  the  sect,  twice 
visited  America,  and  preached  among  his  followers  in  this  country  two 
years  with  marked  success.    The  first  Quakers  who  came  to  Boston  were 
two  ladies,  Mary  Fisher  and  Ann  Austin.     Their  baggage  was  broken 
open  and  examined,  their  religious  books  burned,  their  persons  searched 
for  signs  of  witchcraft,  and  both  were  thrown  into  prison,  although  "  no 
token  could  be  found  on  them  but  of  innocence."    For  five  weeks  they 
were  kept  shut  up  in  jail,  and  then  banished  from  the  colony.    A  law 
was  enacted  prohibiting  the  admission  of  Quakers,  and  a  heavy  fine  im 
posed  upon  any  who  should  keep  in  his   house  one  of  "  this  accursed 
sect."    A  Quaker  who  should  return  after   banishment  was  to  be  "im 
prisoned,  whipped,  and  otherwise  punished  ; "  should  he  return  again,  he 
was  to  "  lose  one  ear ;  for  the-  next  offense,  his  other  ear;  after  the  third, 
to  have  his  tongue  bored  with  a  red-hot  iron."    Notwithstanding  these 
barbarous  laws,  the  Quakers  continued  to  come  in  considerable  numbers, 
although  some  were  executed.    They  were  not  afraid  of  persecutions.    At 
length,  under  the  leadership  of  William  Penn,  they  established  one  of 
the  most  successful  of  American  colonies. 

14.  Many  anecdotes  are  related  of  John  Eliot  connected  with  his  mis 
sionary  work  among  the  Indians.    He  learned  the  Indian  language  from 
a  servant  in  his  family.    When  he  first  attempted  to  address  the  savages, 
and  to  teach  them  concerning  God  and  the  Bible,  he  was  asked  by  one, 
"How  can  God  understand  prayers  in  the  Indian  language?"  and  by 
another,  "  How  came  the  world  so  full  of  people  if  they  were  all  once 
drowned  in  the  flood?"    He  received  a  salary  of  but  $250  a  year,  and 
nearly  all  of  this  he  gave  to  Indians  whom  he  found  in  want.    Know 
ing  the  extent  of  his  generosity,  the  parish  treasurer  when  paying  him 
money  would  tie  it  up  in  his  handkerchief  with  a  dozen  hard-knots, 
to  prevent  Mr.  Eliot  from  giving  it  away  before  he  got  home.    On  one 
occasion,  just  after  receiving  his  pay,  he  called  upon  a  sick  family  to 
share  with  them  his  funds,  and  began  to  untie  the  knots  successively. 
But  before  getting  to  the  money  he  grew  impatient  at  the  delay,  and 
handed  over  the  handkerchief  to  the  mother  just  as  it  was,  saying, 
"  Here,  my  dear,  take  it :  I  believe  the  Lord  designs  it  all  for  you." 

15.  "King  Philip's  "War  had  lasted  for  more  than  a  year.    Thirteen 
towns  had  been  destroyed,  six  hundred  buildings  burned,  countless  num 
bers  of  stock  of  all  kinds  were  lost,  six  hundred  rnen  killed  in  fights  or 
murdered,  and  great  numbers  disabled  by  wounds.    There  was  hardly  a 
family  without  its  scar  of  sorrow.    But  the  power  of  the  Indians  in  all 
southern  New  England  was  destroyed  forever.    Some  escaped  by  flight 
into  the  western  wilds  where  the  white  man  had  not  penetrated  ;  but 
many  small  tribes  were  obliterated  ;  whole  families  had  perished  ;  many 
who  were  captured  were  sent  to  the  West  Indies,  and  dragged  out  the  re 
mainder  of  their  miserable  lives  as  slaves." — Bryant. 


JH.rtV  U.S.Hl»t.  Map  Xo.3.  Chaps.IV-XIII 


PROGRESS  or  COECXNIES. 


prior  to  1763. 
33y  Hussell  JIinman,CJE. 

300 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

NEW    NETHERLANDS.  —  THE    MIDDLE    STATES. 


Hudson  on  the  River. 

104.  The  Dutch  Republic,1  lately  freed  from  Spain, 
was  during  the  seventeenth  century  the  foremost  maritime 
nation  on  the  globe.  Its  trading  stations  were  scattered 
along  the  islands  and  coasts  of  Asia,  and  its  ships  pene 
trated  the  remotest  seas.  In  A.  D.  1609,  the  Dutch  East 
India  Company2  commissioned  Henry  Hudson/'  an  English 
captain,  to  seek  for  it  a  nearer  passage  to  Asia  than  was  yet 
known.  Having  visited  many  points  on  the  American  coast 
between  Penobscot  and  Chesapeake  bays,  Hudson  entered 
what  is  now  the  harbor  of  New  York,  and  found  himself 
at  the  mouth  of  a  great  river  flowing  between  wooded 
heights  to  the  sea.  This  he  ascended  beyond  Albany,  hop 
ing  to  find  an  entrance  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

U.  S.  H.— 5.  (65) 


66  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

105.  Five  years  later  Adrian  Block  built  on  Manhattan 
Island  a  small  ship  called  the  Unrest,  with  which  he  cruised 
through  Long  Island  Sound,  discovered  the  Housatonic  and 
Connecticut    rivers,    gave    his    name    to    the    island    which 
guards  the  eastern  entrance  of  the  Sound,  and  followed  the 
coast  as  far  as  Nahant.     By  reason  of  all  these  discoveries, 
the  land  between  Delaware  Bay  and  Cape  Cod  was  called 
New  Netherlands,   while  the  noble  river  which   Hudson  ex 
plored  has  ever  since  borne  his  name. 

1 06.  A   little   trading-post,    called   New   Amsterdam, 

was  soon  established  on  Manhattan,  where  now 

A.  D.  1613. 

stands  the  greatest  city  of  the  western  continent. 
Another  arose,  in  1614,  upon  the  present  site  of  Albany,  and 
thither  came  Mohawks  and  other  Indians  to  exchange  the 
skins  of  otter,  beaver,  and  mink  for  knives,  beads,  looking- 
glasses,  and,  later,  the  coveted  fire-arms.  In  1621  a  Dutch 
West  India  Company4  was  formed,  and  emigration  to  New 
Netherlands  was  encouraged  for  purposes  of  trade. 

107.  Like  their  mother  country,  the  Dutch  settlements  in 
America  were  thrown  freely  open  to  persons  of  all  nations 
and   religions;    and   before    long,    eighteen   languages   were 
spoken  in  New  Amsterdam.     The   Company  especially  de 
sired  to  secure  ' '  farmers  and  laborers,  foreigners  and  exiles, 
men    inured    to   toil    and    penury."      A    free   passage   from 
Europe  was  granted  to  skilled  mechanics.     Large  tracts  of 
land    with  many   privileges   were   offered  to  rich   men   who 
would  bring  out  whole  colonies  at  their  own  expense.     Such 
persons  were  called  patroons?  and  in  time  some  of  them  had 
thousands  of  tenants  on  their  estates. 

108.  Forts  and   trading-houses  were  erected  on  the 
Delaware  and  Connecticut  rivers,  where  Camden  and  Hart 
ford  now  stand.      But  the  English  refused  to  rec- 

A.  D.  1627.         J  ... 

ognize  any  Dutch  title  in  America;  though  some 
civilities  were  exchanged  between  the  rulers  of  Plymouth 


NEW  SWEDEN. 


New  Amsterdam. 

and  New  Amsterdam,  the  latter  were  advised  to  obtain  a 
title  to  their  lands  from  King  Charles  I.;  and  not  only  the 
valley  of  the  Connecticut,  but  a  large  part  of  Long  Island 
was  ultimately  settled  by  pilgrims  from  Massachusetts. 

109.  Swedes  in  America. — King  Gustavus  Adolphus, 
the  greatest  and  best  of  Swedish  kings,  resolved  to  open  for 
his  people  a  refuge  in  America  from  the  wars  and  oppres 
sions  of  the  Old  World.  His  untimely  death  on  the  battle 
field  of  Ltitzen6  delayed  the  execution  of  his  purpose;  but 
the  plan  was  taken  up  by  his  chancellor,  Oxenstiern,  ' '  one 
of  the  great  men  of  all  time."  In  the  spring  of  1638,  two 
vessels  bearing  a  company  of  Swedes  and  Finns  entered 
Delaware  Bay. 

no.  All  the  lands  bordering  upon  the  bay  and  river, 
from  Cape  Henlopen  to  the  falls  near  Trenton,  were  bought 
from  the  Indians,  and  named  New  Sweden}  A  fort  was 
built  within  the  present  limits  of  Delaware,  which  received 
the  name  of  the  little  queen  Christiana.  The  fame  of  the 
mild  climate  and  fertile  soil  drew  fresh  arrivals  of  hardy 
and  industrious  people  from  the  frozen  shores  of  the  Baltic. 


68  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


In  1643  Governor  Printz7  removed  his  residence  to  Tinicum 
Island,  near  the  confluence  of  the  Schiiylkill;  and  neat 

cottages  and  gardens  were 
soon  seen  within  what  are 
now  the  suburbs  of  Phila 
delphia. 

in.   Indian  Troubles, 

—The  people  of  New  Am 
sterdam  and  its  neighbor 
hood  had  much  to  fear  from 
the  Indians,  to  whom  they 
first  sold  gin,  muskets,  and 
gunpowder,  and  then  treated 
them  so  unjustly  that  they 
might  be  sure  the  weapons 
would  be  turned  against 
themselves.  Governor  Kieft, 

Peter  Stuyvesant. 

the  third  of  the  Dutch  chief 

magistrates,  punished  the  poor  savages  with  wanton  cruelty 
for  offenses  which  his  own  crimes  had  provoked.  He  was 
recalled  in  1647,  and  Peter  Stuyvesant,8  a  better  man  and 
a  brave  soldier,  was  sent  in  his  place. 

112.  Governor  Stuyvesant  visited  Hartford  and  made 
a  treaty  with   the  English  settlers,   which   fixed  the  eastern 
limit  of  New  Netherlands  on  the  mainland,  not  far  from  the 
present  boundary  of  New  York  and  Connecticut.      Half  of 

Long    Island   was   ceded    to    the    English.      He 

A.  D.  1651. 

made  peace  with  the  Indians,  and  to  protect  the 
beaver-trade  on  the  Delaware  he  built  a  fort  on  the  present 
site  of  Newcastle,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Brandywine. 

113.  End   of  New    Sweden. — The   Swedes   resented 
this  intrusion,    and  in    1654,    their   governor,    Rising,   over 
powered  the  garrison  and  seized  the  fort.      But  Sweden  was 
not  strong  enough  to  protect  her  colony.      Stuyvesant  soon 


THE  ENGLISH  IN  NEW  YORK.  69 

appeared  with  six  hundred  men,  and,  sailing  up  the  Dela 
ware,  received  the  surrender  of  all  the  forts  without  the  de 
struction  of  a  life.  The  people  submitted  to  Dutch  rule, 
and  remained  peaceably  on  their  farms.  New  Sweden  had 
existed  seventeen  years. 

114.  Discontent    in    the    Dutch    Colony. — Though 
consciences  were  free  in  New  Netherlands,  the  people  had 
no  share  in  the  government.      Citizenship  meant  ' '  not  much 
more  than  a  license  to  trade."     Taxes  were  often  oppressive. 
The  Director  was  haughty  and  obstinate,  replying  to  all  re 
monstrances,  that  he  derived  his  "authority  from  God  and 
the  West  India  Company,  not  from  the  pleasure  of  a  few 
ignorant  subjects."     The  English,  who  were  now  numerous 
in  the  colony,  envied  the  greater  freedom  of  their  brethren 
in   Massachusetts;    and   there   were   few  of   any  race  who 
would  not  rather  be  subjects  of  England  than  servants  of  a 
trading  company. 

115.  English    Conquest   of   New   Netherlands. — 

During  a  war  between  England  and  Holland,   an   English 
fleet  entered  the  harbor  of  New  Amsterdam,  and  demanded 
a  surrender.     Stuy vesant  had  no  power  to  resist ;  the  citizens 
had  no  disposition  to  aid  him.      New  Amsterdam  became 
New   York,  and  Fort  Orange,   on  the  upper  Hudson,   was 
named  Albany,  from  the  English  king's  brother, 
the   Duke  of  York  and   Albany,   to  whom   the 
whole  region  between  the   Connecticut   and   the    Delaware 
had  been  given. 

116.  New  Jersey. — The  Duke  in  his  turn  bestowed  the 
land  between   the  lower   Hudson   and    the   Delaware   upon 
Lord    Berkeley   and   Sir   George   Carteret.     It   received   its 
present  name  from  the  island  in  the  English   Channel,   of 
which   Carteret  had  been  governor.      Eastern   New  Jersey, 
which  fell  to  Carteret's  share,  was  already  settled  in  part  by 
English   Puritans.     To  attract   immigrants,    perfect   freedom 


70  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

of  conscience  was  guaranteed;  and  the  fertile  river  banks,  so 
easy  of  access,  were  soon  occupied  by  industrious  and 
worthy  people. 

117.  Reconquest  by  the   Dutch. — The  hope  of  En 
glish  liberty  was  not  immediately  fulfilled  to  the  people  of 
New  York.     The  Duke  of  York  was  a  tyrant,  and  the  groom 
of  his  bed-chamber,  Richard  Nicolls,  whom  he  appointed  to 
govern  the  colony,  levied  taxes  at  his  own  will.     The  people 
of  Long  Island  complained  that  they  were  * '  deprived  of  the 

privileges  of  Englishmen."  No  one  was  sorry 
when  a  Dutch  fleet  reappeared  in  New  York 
Harbor,  and  the  city  was  quietly  surrendered  after  nine 
years'  occupation  by  the  English.  The  second  Dutch  rule 
lasted,  however,  only  fifteen  months;  for  by  the  treaty  of 
peace  between  Holland  and  England,  the  New  Netherlands 
were  permanently  ceded  to  the  latter. 

118.  England  now  ruled  all  the  Atlantic  coast  be 
tween  New  France  and  New  Spain;  /.  e.,  between  Acadia 
and  Florida.     Berkeley  and   Carteret  resumed  their  posses 
sion  of  New  Jersey.     The  former,   now  a  very  old  man, 
soon  sold  his  half  of  the  territory  for  $5,000  to  an  English 
Quaker,  and  in  1674  John  Fenwick  sailed  with  a  large  com 
pany  of   "Friends"  to  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Delaware. 
A  liberal  government  was  established  at  Burlington,  confid 
ing  all   power  to  the  people  and   securing  equal  rights  to 
every  man.     East  New  Jersey  was  subsequently  purchased 
from    the    heirs    of    Carteret    by    a    company    of    English 
11  Friends,"  of  whom  William  Penn9  was  one. 

119.  Pennsylvania. — In    1681   William   Penn   obtained 
from  King  Charles  II.   a  tract  of  land  west  of  Delaware 
River,  instead  of  a  large  sum  of  money  which  the  king  owed 
Admiral  Penn,  his  father.     The  owner  of  Pennsylvania  was 
invested  with   sovereign  rights;    but    the    ''Quaker   King" 
desired  only  to  make  a  ' '  free  colony  for  the  good  and  op- 


WILLIAM  PENN. 


pressed  of  all  nations."  He  had  suffered  in  his  own  person 
imprisonment  and  persecution  for  conscience'  sake;  and  he 
wished,  as  he  said,  to  make  the  "holy  experiment"  whether 
perfect  justice  and  good  will  toward  high  and  low,  rich  and 
poor,  heathen  and  Christian,  were  not  a  safe  and  sufficient 
foundation  for  a  state. 


A.  D. 


120.  Purchasing  land  of  the  Swedes,    who   had   already 
bought    it    of    the    Indians    (§iio),  he   laid   out 
Philadelphia,  the  "city  of  brotherly  love."  '  In 

August  of  that  year  it  contained  only  three  or  four  cottages; 
two  years  later  it  numbered 
six  hundred  houses,  and 
had  a  school  and  a  printing- 
press.  The  Lenni  Lenape 
of  the  surrounding  region 
had  been  so  humbled  by 
the  Iroquois  (§24)  that  they 
were  incapable  of  making 
war :  their  hearts  were 
touched,  moreover,  by  the 
kind  and  just  words  of 
Penn ;  and  the  treaty  which 
they  made  with  him  under 
the  great  elm-tree  at  Shack- 
amaxon,  was  "  the  only  In 
dian  treaty  never  sworn  to  William  Penn. 
and  never  broken." 

121.  "English    freedom"    was    bestowed    upon    the 
Swedes,  Finns,  and  Dutch,  who  were  already  numerous  in 
the  region.     News  of  the  very  liberal   constitution  granted 
by  Penn,  drew  immigrants  not  only  from  Great  Britain  but 
from   central    Europe.      "Friends"    from    Kirchheim,    near 
Worms,  settled  on  lands  then  six  miles  from  Philadelphia, 
now  forming  Germantown.     All  forms  of  belief  were  free  in 


72  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Pennsylvania;  superstitions  were  met  by  that  calm  good 
sense  which  is  their  only  antidote.  Only  one  trial  for  witch 
craft  ever  took  place;  the  prisoner,  a  Swede,  was  acquitted 
of  the  charge,  though  censured  for  disorderly  conduct.  (See 
§141-) 

122.  Delaware. — The  Duke  of  York,  an  old  friend  and 
comrade    of    Penn's    father,    conferred    upon    the    son    the 

"three  lower  counties"  on  Delaware  Bay.     They 

A.  D.  1682.  .  J  J 

were  included  for  nine  years  in  Pennsylvania;  but 
in  1691  a  separate  governor  and  assembly  were  chosen  for 
the  "Commonwealth  of  Delaware." 

123.  Duke   of   York  becomes   King. — In   1685,   tne 
Duke  of  York  became  King  James  II.  of  England.     Penn 
used  all  his  influence  with  his  royal  friend  to  secure  justice 
for  the  oppressed,  and  had  the  joy  of  liberating  twelve  hun 
dred  "Friends"  from  the  noisome  English  dungeons,  where 
some  of  them  had  suffered  many  years  for  no  other  crime 
than  obedience  to  their  consciences. 

124.  Ingratitude  towards  Penn.— Though  the  colonies 
established  by  Penn  flourished,  their  proprietor  became  poor. 
He  had  spent  all  his  fortune  in  the  prosecution  of  his  great 
"experiment."     Many  settlers  refused  to  pay  the  moderate 
rent   which   he   asked,   as  some   little  return  for  all  his  ex 
pense;  and  the  liberator  of  so  many  prisoners  actually  went 
to  jail  in  his  old  age  for  debt. 

Trace  on  Map  No.  3  the  course  of  Hudson  ;  of  Block.  Point  out  two 
Dutch  settlements  on  the  Hudson.  Two  on  the  Delaware  and  Con 
necticut  ($108).  Long  Island.  Two  Swedish  settlements  on  the  Dela 
ware.  The  three  principal  rivers  of  New  Netherlands.  Penn's  chief 
city.  The  capital  of  West  Jersey.  The  boundaries  of  Delaware. 

Read  Brodhead's  "History  of  New  York;"  Chapters  xxii-xxiv  of 
Bancroft's  "History  of  the  United  States;"  Mrs.  Lamb's  "History  of 
the  City  of  New  York;"  "Lives"  of  William  Penn  by  Clarkson, 
Weems,  and  Ellis. 


NOTES.  73 


NOTES. 

1.  The  Dutch  Republic,  or  United  Netherlands,  in  the  seventeenth 
century,  embraced  the  present  kingdom  of  Holland,  and  a  part  of  Bel 
gium.    The  remainder  of  Belgium  constituted  the  Spanish  Netherlands. 

2.  The  Dutch  East  India  Company  was  chartered  in  1602,  with  "  the 
exclusive  right  to  commerce  beyond  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  on  the  one 
side,  and  beyond  the  Straits  of  Magellan  on  the  other."    It  had  almost 
unlimited   powers  in  respect  of  "conquest,  colonization,  and  govern 
ment,"  and  soon  became  the  greatest  trading  corporation  in  the  world. 

3.  Hudson's  first  two  voyages  to  the  American  coast  (L607  and  1608) 
were  under  the  auspices  of  a  company  of  London  merchants,  and  for  the 
purpose  of  finding   the   long-sought   north-west   passage   to   Asia.    He 
cruised  farther  north,  along  the  eastern  shores  of  Greenland,  than  any 
navigator  before  him,  and,  when  his  progress  was  stopped  by  ice,  sailed 
across  the  polar  seas  to  Spitsbergen,  and  vainly  tried  to  reach  China 
through  the  frozen  channel  between  that  arctic  island  and  Nova  Zembla. 
He  was  not  discouraged  by  these  repeated  failures,  but  his  countrymen 
refused  the  means  to  carry  on  other  expeditions ;  so  he  offered  tosail  for  the 
Dutch  Company,  and  his  services  were  accepted.    His  vessel,  the  "  Half 
Moon,"  was  a  yacht  of  only  eighty  tons  burthen,  and  with  this  small  craft 
he  first  essayed  the  "  north-east  passage  "  around  Nova  Zembla.    Finding 
it  blocked  with  ice,  as  he  had  the  year  before,  he  turned  his  prow  west 
ward,  and,  after  a  stormy  voyage  of  nearly  three  months,  sighted  the 
foggy  banks  of  Newfoundland.    Cruising  south,  he  landed  first  on  the 
Maine  coast,  then  on  Cape  Cod  (which  he  called  New  Holland),  and,  be 
fore  entering  New  York  harbor,  explored  Delaware  Bay.    On  the  4th  of 
September  (1609)  a  boat's  crew  from  the  "Half  Moon"  landed  011  Congu 
(Coney)  Island.    These  were  the  first  Europeans  known  to  have  been  on 
the  shores  of  New  York  Bay.    In  1610  Hudson  made  his  last  voyage  to 
America.    He  sailed  through  the  straits  and  discovered  the  bay  which 
bear  his  name.    His  ship,  the  "  Discovery,"  was  caught  in  the  fields  of  ice. 
Dissensions  and  mutiny  broke  out  among  his  sailors,  and  they  cast  Hud 
son  and  his  son,  with  seven  others,  into  a  small  shallop,  and  set  them 
adrift  among  the  icebergs.    Their  sad  fate  was  never  known,  but,  the 
entire  party  must  have  perished  from  cold  or  starvation. 

4.  The  Dutch  "West  India  Company  was  almost,  as  great  a  monopoly 
as  the  East  India  Company.    Its  patent  prohibited  any  citizen  of  the 
United  Netherlands,  for  the  period  of  twenty -two  years,  from  sailing  to 
the  coasts  of  Africa  or  America  except  in  the  company's  service.    It  ex 
ercised  all  governmental  powers  over  the  colonies  it  established.    Besides 
an  immense  fleet  of  merchant  vessels,  this  great  company  had  under  its 
control  thirty-two  war  vessels  and  eighteen  armed  yachts.    One  clause  in 
its  charter  was  that  "they  must  advance  the  peopling  of  those  fruitful 
and  unsettled  parts,"  and  this  important  feature  received  the  first  atten 
tion  of  the  company.    Early  in  1623  their  first  colonists  were  brought  to 
the  shores  of  Hudson  River,  called  Mauritius  River  by  the  Dutch. 

5.  The  Patroons,  or  proprietary  lords  of  the  early  Dutch  settlements 
of  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  were  granted  remarkable  privileges,  and 
clothed  with  almost   princely   powers.    Provided    they  would  bring  a 
colony  of  fifty  persons  to  America,  they  were  permitted  to  select  lands 
having  a  frontage  of  sixteen  miles  along  any  river  bank,  and  extending 
back  "  so  far  into  the  country  as  the  situation  of  the  occupiers  would  per 
mit."    They  appointed  officers  and  magistrates  to  govern  the  colony,  and 
their  sway  over  the  people  was  absolute.    No  man  or  woman  could  quit 
the  patroon's  service  until  the  time  of  contract  had  expired,  whether 
treated  well  or  not;  and  the  only  privilege  which  these  tenants  enjoyed 
was  an  exemption  from  taxation  for  ten  years. 

6.  Lutzen  is  a  small  town  in  Prussian  Saxony.    The  battle  in  which 
Gustavus  Adolphus  lost  his  life,  occurred  in  November,  1632.    The  Swed 
ish  king,  with  20,000  men,  was  opposed  by  the  great  Austrian  general, 
Wallenstein,  with  an  army  of  40,000.    The  tide  of  battle  wavered  for  some 
time,  when  Gustavus  Adolphus  rode  fearlessly  to  the  front  to  inspirit  his 


74  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


soldiery.  He  received  a  shot  in  the  arm  and  one  in  the  back ;  he  fell 
from  his  saddle,  and,  tps  foot  catching  in  the  stirrup,  he  was  thus  dragged 
by  his  flying  horse.  It  is  thought  that  the  fatal  wound  in  the  back  was 
caused  by  a  traitorous  cousin  in  his  own  ranks. 

7.  The  first  director  of   New  Sweden  was  Peter  Minuit,  a  Dutchman 
who  had  been  discharged  from  office  in  the  New  Netherlands  settlement. 

Governor  Printz  was  a  man  of  immense  size,  weighing  over  four  hun 
dred  pounds,  a  generous  liver,  and  of  violent  temper.  His  house,  Printz 
Hall,  was  an  elegant  mansion  for  the  times.  From  his  fort  on  Tinicum 
Island  he  stopped  every  passing  vessel,  and  levied  tribute  for  the  priv 
ilege  of  trading  at  any  point  on  the  Delaware  or  Schuylkill  rivers. 

8.  Peter  Stuyvesant  was  warmly  welcomed  by  the  people  of  New 
Netherlands  when,  in  1647,  he  came  as  director-general  to  relieve  them 
from  the  rule  of  the  despotic  Kieft.    But  it  did  not  take  them  long  to  find 
out  that  he  was  as  self-willed  and  violent  in  temper  as  his  predecessor. 
He  was,  however,  a  man  of  better  judgment  and  executive  ability.    He 
succeeded  in  making  peace  with  the  Indians,  and  in  introducing  system 
and  good  order  in  the  affairs  of  government.    Stuyvesant  was  born  in 
Holland  in  1002;  he  lost  a  leg  in  a  naval  attack  on  the  island  of  St.  Martin 
in  1644,  and  had  it  replaced  by  a  wooden  one,  bound  round  with  silver 
rings.    On  account  of  this  he  was  called  by  some  of  his  disrespectful  sub 
jects,  "old  Wooden  Leg"  or  "Silver  Leg."    He  delighted  in  pomp  and  in 
display  of  authority.    As  an  instance,  when  he  landed  at  New  Amster 
dam  as  the  new  governor  of  the  colony,  one  of  the  writers  of  the  time 
says,  he  "  strutted  like  a  peacock,  with  great  state  and  pomp ;  "  and,  being 
met  by  a  deputation  of  the  leading  citizens,  who  took  off  their  hats  as  a 
mark  of  respect,  the  governor  "let  them  wait  bareheaded  for  several 
hours,  he  himself  keeping  on  his  hat  as  if  he  was  the  Czar  of  Muscovy ; 
nobody  was  offered  a  chair,  while  he  seated  himself  very  comfortably  on 
a  chair,  the  better  to  give  the  welcomers  an  audience." 

After  surrendering  New  Netherlands,  Peter  Stuyvesant  lived  quietly 
for  eighteen  years  on  his  farm,  which  lay  upon  both  sides  of  the  street 
now  called  the  Bowery,  in  New  York  City.  He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty, 
and  his  remains  are  iiow  in  a  vault  in  St.  Marks  Episcopal  Church,  N.  Y. 

9.  "William  Penn  was  the  son  of  a  distinguished  English  admiral. 
He  was  born  in  London  in  1644.    From  his  father  he  inherited  force  of 
character  and  sprightliness  of  disposition  ;  and  from  his  mother,  a  strong 
religious  temperament.    He  entered    Oxford    University  at   the  age  of 
fifteen.    During  his  first  year  there  he  heard  the  preaching  of  Thomas 
Lee,  an  eminent  "Friend,"  and  became  impressed  with  his  simple  doc 
trines.    He  grew  more  and  more  to  dislike  the  forms  and  ceremonies  of  the 
Anglican  Church,  and  rebelled  against  the  conformity  to  them  required 
in  the  University.    He  refused  to  wear  a  surplice  himself,  and  incited  a 
few  of  his  comrades  to  join  him  in  tearing  off  the  surplices  worn  by  other 
students.    For  this  he  was  expelled.    During   the    next   few    years   he 
traveled  in  Holland,  France,  and  Ireland,  was  often  presented  at  court, 
and  led  quite  a  gay  life.    But  again  falling  in  with  the  Quaker  preacher, 
Lee,  he  became  a  convert  to  his  views,  and  adopted  the  garb  and  the  pro 
fessions  of  the  Society  of  Friends.    He  gave  up  his  luxurious  habits  of 
living,  and  began  zealously  to  speak  and  write  in  favor  of  the  new  doc 
trines.    He  was  thrown  into  prison  for  heresy,  but  improved  the  time 
passed  in  his  cell  by  writing  more  vigorously  than  ever.    He  was  a  man 
of  strong  conscientious  convictions,  and  without  a  particle  of  fear.    On 
the  death  of  his  father  in  1070,  William  Penn  came  into  possession  of  a 
large  estate.    The  grant  to  Penn  comprised  40,000  square  miles  in  the  wil 
derness  of  America,  which  King  Charles  named  Pennsylvania.    Penn 
wished  to  call  the  territory  New  Wales  or  Sylvania,  but  the  king  replied 
that  he  was  "godfather  to  the  country,  and  would  bestow  the  name." 

When  James  II.  was  deposed  and  in  exile  (A.  D.  1692),  William  Penn 
was  accused  of  treasonable  correspondence  with  him.  On  the  strength 
of  this  charge,  his  title  to  Pennsylvania  was  annulled;  but  a  long  and 
severe  trial  proved  his  innocence,  and  his  flourishing  province  in  the 
New  World  was  restored  to  him.  The  business  embarrassments  of  his 
later  life  affected  his  health  and  spirits.  In"  1712  a  stroke  of  apoplexy 
greatly  impaired  his  mind ;  though  his  death,  in  Berkshire,  did  riot  occur 
until  six  years  later. 


^  \  B  R  A  -  ATS 

OF  THE 

UNIVERs/TY   1 

^UFORNAL 

CHAPTER    IX. 

ENGLISH    REVOLUTIONS. THE    SOUTHERN    COLONIES. 

125.  Important  changes  took  place  in  England  during 
the    seventeenth    century,    which    had    their    influence    in 
America.     The  Puritans   (§§74,    75,    Note    i.,    p.    53)  were 
now  a  majority  of  the  great  middle  class  of  the  people  and 
of  Parliament.     They  were  the  party  of  freedom  in  civil  as 
well  as  religious  matters,  and  they  soon  came  into  collision 
with  Charles  I.,  the  second  of  the  Stuart  kings,  whose  ideas 
of  royal   authority   were   as   absolute   as  his  father's   (§74). 
To  escape  their  opposition,  he  tried  for  many  years  to  rule 
without    a    parliament,    and  to   support   his  government  by 
forced  loans.     Want  of  money  compelled  him,   however,  to 
summon    the  representatives  of    the    people,   and  he  found 
them  even  less  obedient  than  before. 

126.  Civil    War   in    England    at    length    broke   out 
Multitudes  of  families  sought  peace  and  security  in  America. 
The  king,    after  many  defeats,    was  taken   pris 
oner,    tried,    condemned,    and    beheaded.     The 

last  parliament  which  he  summoned,  voted  itself  perpetual 
by  an  act  which  the  king  signed.  It  is  hence  called  the 
Long  Parliament,  for  it  continued  in  session  twelve  years. 
It  contained  many  warm  friends  of  the  New  England  colo 
nies;  but  the  latter  were  careful  to  ask  no  favors,  lest  they 
should  confess  themselves  dependent. 

127.  Oliver  Cromwell,1  the  head  of  the  army,  at  length 
dissolved  the  Long  Parliament,  and  made  himself  chief  ruler 
of  England  with  the  title  of  Lord  Protector  of 

0,      r-  i  i  j       A-  D-  l653-i658 

the  Commonwealth.     He  was  a  great  man,  and 

England  was  never  more  respected  than  when  governed  by 

(75) 


7 6  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

him.  But  the  power  of  the  Commonwealth  ended  with  his 
life;  for  his  son  Richard,  who  inherited  his  title,  had  not 
the  strength  to  keep  it. 

128.  In    1660    Charles    II.2  was  called   to  occupy   his 
father's  throne.     He  came  with   grand  ideas  of  his  powers 
and  privileges  as  a  king,  and  in  four  years  gave  away  half 
of   North    America   to   men   who   had   shared   his   exile   or 
helped   in   his  restoration.      During   the  same  years  several 
new  Navigation  Acts  gave  to  English  merchants  all  the  bene 
fit  of  colonial   trade.     No  goods  could  reach  the  colonies 
except  in  English  ships;  even  the  exchanges  of  one  colony 
with    another  were   loaded  with   heavy   duties.     Americans 
could  buy  foreign  goods  only  in  England,  and  must  sell  in 
England    all    their   products   which    the    English   merchants 
would  take;    the  rest  must  be  sold   "south  of   Cape  Finis- 
terre,"  so  as  to  compete  as  little  as  possible  with  the  interests 
of  the  mother-country.     Under  such  ungenerous  restrictions, 
it  is  needless  to  say,  American  merchants  had  little  chance 
of  success,  for  they  bore  all  the  risks  and  losses,   while  re 
ceiving  scarcely  any  of  the  profits  of  European  trade. 

129.  Conflicting   Grants. — Probably  the  years  of  the 
king's  exile  had  not  been  devoted   to  the  study  of  geogra 
phy,  for  while  restoring  Acadia  to  the  French  he  renewed  a 
grant  of  Nova  Scotia  to  Sir  Thomas  Temple,  who  had  suc 
ceeded  the   original   proprietor   (§83).     He   bestowed  upon 
Connecticut — now    made    to    include    Saybrook    and    New 
Haven — all  the  land  between  Narragansett   River  and  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  together  with  a  new  and  very  liberal  charter; 
and  at  the  same  time  he  gave  to  his  brother,  the  Duke  of 
York,    the    tract    between    the    Delaware    and    Connecticut 
riverg.      (See  §115.)     Wiser  men  than  King  Charles  had  as 
yet  no  true  idea  of  the  breadth  of  the  American  continent, 
and  the  boundary  lines  of  several  colonies,  extending  from 
ocean  to  ocean,   were   hopelessly   entangled.     It  was  under 


NOR  TH  AND  SO  UTH  CAR  OLINA.  7  7 


the  charter  of  Charles  II.  that  Connecticut  originally  held 
the  lands  in  Ohio,  since  known  as  the  "Western  Reserve," 
which  afforded  the  basis  of  her  school-fund. 

130.  The  Carolinas.3 — Hitherto  both  French  (§§44-47) 
and  English  (§§51-54)   had  failed  to  make  any  lasting  settle 
ments  in  the  southern  half  of  the  United  States.     In   1663 
Charles  II.  granted  to  eight  of  his  courtiers4  the  whole  vast 
country  southward  of  Virginia,   and  extending   beyond  the 
Mississippi  on  the  west.     Here  the  English  dukes  and  earls 
resolved  to  set  up  an  empire  with  all  the  parade  of  ranks 
and  ceremonies  to  which  they  were  accustomed  in  Europe. 
To  this  end,  John   Locke,5  the   great    philosopher,   together 
with  Lord  Shaftesbury,  drew  up  a  "Grand  Model"  of  gov 
ernment.     The   country   was    divided, — on   the   map,  —  into 
provinces  of  nearly  half  a  million  acres,  each  to  be  governed 
by  a  landgrave,   with  a  whole  order  of  nobles  under  him. 
No  settler  was  to  vote  unless  he  owned  fifty  or  more  acres 
of  land;  the  tillers  of  the  soil  were  to  be  serfs,  and  beneath 
them  were  slaves. 

131.  The   "Model"   proved   to  be  too  "grand"  for  the 
woods  and  marshes  of  the  American  wilderness.     The  farm 
ers  and  lumbermen  near  Albemarle   Sound,   while  awaiting 
the  arrival  of  their  baronial  lords,  struck  out  a  plan  of  gov 
ernment  better  suited  to  their  present  needs;   and  the  pro 
prietors  at  last  consented  to  its  adoption,  only  reserving  to 
themselves  an  annual  rent  of  a  half-penny  per  acre,  and  the 
right  to  appoint  two  governors,  the  one  for  the  northern,  the 
other  for  the  southern  part  of  the  territory. 

132.  The  Albemarle  settlement,  though  within  the  original 
limits   of  Virginia,   was   now   made   the  nucleus  of   North 
Carolina.     Its   first  governor  was  William   Drummond,    a 
Scotchman  and   a  sincere   lover  of   liberty,   who  afterwards 
lost  his  life  in  Bacon's  Rebellion  (§69).     Its  numbers  were 
increased  by  emigrants  from  New  England,  and  by  a  colony 


78  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

of  ship-builders  from  the  Bermudas.  A  company  from  Bar- 
badoes  settled  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Cape  Fear  River,6 
and  prospered  so  well  in  the  exportation  of  staves,  shingles, 
and  boards  to  the  islands  whence  they  came,  that  in  1666 
they  numbered  eight  hundred  souls. 

133.  The    first    settlement7    in    South    Carolina    was 

planted  by  the  proprietors  themselves,  who  sent  out  three 
shiploads  of  emigrants  in  1670,  at  their  own  expense.  After 
one  or  two  experiments  a  site  was  chosen  at  the  confluence 
of  the  Ashley  and  Cooper  rivers;  and  in  the  midst  of 
ancient  forests,  brightened  in  the  spring  by  yellow  jasmine, 
a  little  village  was  begun  which  received  the  name  of 
Charleston  in  honor  of  the  king. 

134.  French    Colonists  — The  genial  climate  attracted 
crowds    of    settlers.8      Among    others    were    thousands    of 
French  Protestants,9  whose  own  land  was  made  intolerable 
by   persecution,    though,    strangely   enough,    they  were    for 
bidden  to  leave  it  under  penalty  of  death.     Their  industry, 
intelligence,   and   high  moral  character  were  what   the   new 
colony  most  needed,  and  their  gentleness  and  refinement  of 
manners  made  a  lasting  impression  upon  the  society  of  South 
Carolina. 

135.  Their  plantations  of  pears,  olives,  and  mulberry  trees 
soon  extended   along   the   Cooper  and   Santee  rivers.     Rice 
was  introduced  from  Madagascar,  and  was  found  well  suited 
to  the  lowlands;  indigo  flourished,  and  cotton  at  a  later  day 
became  the  most  important   staple.     The  heat  of   the  sum 
mers   made   labor   in   the    forests  and   rice-swamps   fatal   to 
white  men,  and  negroes10  were  imported  in  greater  numbers 
than  to  any  other  colony.     In  a  few  years  they  constituted 
nearly  two  thirds  of  the  population. 

136.  Monmouth's  Rebels. — In  1685  Charles  II.  died, 
and  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  York,  became  King  James  the 
Second.      His   nephew,    the    Duke   of   Monmouth,    rebelled 


ANDROS  AS  ROYAL  GOVERNOR.  79 

against  him  and  tried  to  seize  the  crown.  The  movement 
was  put  down,  and  its  leader  beheaded,  but  a  cruel  venge 
ance  was  taken  upon  all  who  were  suspected  of  having  part 
in  it.  Hundreds  were  sold  as  indented  servants  to  work 
in  the  tobacco  fields  of  Virginia,  and  their  wealth,  with  the 
price  paid  for  them,  went  to  enrich  the  king's  courtiers. 
But  Virginia  was  more  merciful  than  her  sovereign.  In 
1689  these  exiles  were  set  free,  and  many  of  them  became 
honored  citizens  of  the  colony. 

137.  Covenanters    in    New   Jersey. — King   James's 
persecutions  of  the  Covenanters11  in  Scotland  led  thousands 
of  worthy  people  to  emigrate  to  New  Jersey.      Here,  instead 
of  being  hunted  among  dens  and  caves  of  the  mountains, 
they  went  to  work  in  peace  and  security  upon  fertile  fields; 
schools    and    churches    multiplied,    and    it    was    soon    said 
"there  is  not  a  poor  body,  nor  one  that  wants,   in  all  the 
colony." 

138.  Andros   as   Royal   Governor. — As  duke,  James 
had  unwillingly  granted  a  free  constitution  to  his  province 
of   New  York;    but  becoming  king,   he  took  it  away,   and 
forced  the  people  to  buy  new  titles  to  their  farms  from  his 
agents.     After  several   changes  he   intrusted  Sir 

A.  D.  1686. 

Edmund  Andros12  with  the  government  of  all  the 
country  from  the  Delaware  to  the  St.  Croix.  Boston,  then 
the  "largest  English  town  in  the  New  World,"  was  the 
capital  of  one  great  despotism.  All  discussion  in  town- 
meetings  was  forbidden;  public  funds  for  schools  and  char 
ities  were  confiscated;  and  when  it  was  represented  that 
the  new  and  enormous  taxes  would  ruin  the  colonies,  the 
oppressors  answered,  "It  is  not  for  his  Majesty's  interest 
you  should  thrive." 

139.  Lost  Charters. — The  great  seal  of  Rhode  Island 
was  broken,   and  its  government  overthrown.     The  charter 
of  Connecticut   was   demanded   by    Andros  in   person.     It 
disappeared  during  the  discussion,  and  is  said  to  have  been 


8o  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

concealed  in  the  hollow  trunk  of  an  old  oak,13  which  stood 
nearly  two  centuries  later,  a  beloved  and  venerated  relic  of 
colonial  times.  Andros  wrote  Finis  at  the  end  of  the 
records  of  Connecticut,  but  happily  his  power,  like  his 
master's,  was  short-lived.  The  revolution  which  ended  the 
short  reign  of  James,  restored  some  degree  of  order  and 
freedom  to  the  colonies  (A.  D.  1689). 

Point  out  on  Map  No.  3  the  various  territories  granted  by  Charles  II. 
The  first  city  in  South  Carolina.  The  limits  of  Andres's  government. 

NOTES. 

1.  Oliver  Cromwell  was  born  A.  D.  1599,  and  died  in  1658.  His  is  one 
of  the  great  names  in  history.  Cromwell's  military  genius  and  practical 
statesmanship  are  admitted  even  by  his  enemies.  ''Never,"  says  Macau- 
lay,  "  was  any  ruler  so  conspicuously  born  for  sovereignty.  Insignificant 

'    '  3  was  a  still  g 


His  personal  ambi 
tion  was  great,  but  he  refused  kingship  when  it  was  offered  to  him.  Yet 
Cromwell's  rule  was  as  absolute  as  any  king's:  his  word  was  law  through 
out  his  reigu.  During  the  persecution  of  English  Puritans  by  Charles  I., 
Cromwell  and  Hampden  are  said  to  have  taken  passage  for  America; 
but,  being  discovered  on  board  the  vessel  before  starting,  they  were  or 
dered  by  the  king  to  disembark.  In  after  years  the  lord-protector  took 
great  interest  in  the  Puritan  colonies  of  the  New  World,  and  proffered 
them  aid  against  the  encroachments  of  the  New  Netherlanders. 

2.  Upon  the  accession  of  Charles  II.  to  the  throne  of  England,  the 
Massachusetts  colonists  appealed  to  him  "  as  a  king  who  had  seen  adver 
sity,  and  who,  having  himself  been  an  exile,  knew  the  hearts  of  exiles." 
They  besought  him  for  "  a  continuance  of  civil  ami  religious  liberties," 
and  in  response  King  Charles  wrote  a  letter  assuring  them  of  his  good 
will.    He  granted  them  amnesty  for  past  offenses,  and  urged  them  to  re 
peal  all  laws  which  might  be  opposed  to  his  royal  authority.    The  Nav 
igation  Acts  bore  heavily  upon  the  people  of  New  England,  and  they  sent 
agents  to  remonstrate  with  Charles  against  the  injustice  of  such  laws. 
But  the  constant  infringement  of  their  charter  of  liberties,  under  the 
open  sanction  of  the  king,  was  hardest  to  be  borne.    All  entreaty,  how 
ever,  was  in  vain.    In  1684  the  Massachusetts  charter  was  declared  to  be 
forfeited.    Charles  II.  was  ever  ready  with  pleasant  promises,  but  few  of 
them  were  kept.    He  was  supremely  selfish  and  impure  in  character. 
His  reign  was  one  of  the  most  corrupt  in  English  history.    He  died  of 
apoplexy  in  1685. 

3.  Carolina.— A  grant  of  the  "Province  of  Carolana"  was  made  by 
Charles  I.  in  1630,  to  Sir  Robert  Heath,  who  afterwards  disposed  of  his 
title  to  Lord  Maltravers.    The  owners  of  this  claim  disputed  the  rights 
of  the  courtiers  of  Charles  II.  under  their  charter  of  1663.    The  Virginia 
Assembly  had  made  numerous  trading  grants  along  the  Roanoke  River 
and  Albemarle  Sound  as  early  as  1643,  and  a  few  years  later  some  New 
England  colonists  selected  tracts  of  land  on  the  Cape  Fear  and  Chowan 
rivers.    These  conflicting  claims  were  the  cause  of  much  unpleasant  feel 
ing  in  the  early  days  of  the  Carolinas. 

4.  The  Earl  of  Clarendon,  the  Duke  of  Albemarle,  Lord  Craven,  Lord 
Ashley  Cooper,  Sir  John  Colleton,  Lord  John  Berkeley,  Sir  William  Berk 
eley,  and  Sir  George  Carter. 

5.  John  Locke  was  born  in  1632  and  died  in  1704.    He  attended  the 
University  at  Oxford.    His  great  philosophical  treatise  is  an  "  Essay  on 


NOTES.  8 1 


the  Human  Understanding."  Locke's  system  of  philosophy  became  at 
once  widely  popular,  and  exerted  a  marked  influence  upon  the  thought 
of  the  civilized  world. 

6.  This  settlement  was  probably  about  twenty-five  miles  from  the 
mouth  of  Cape  Fear  River.    It  was  called  Charles-town.    Sir  John  Yea- 
mans  was  chosen  governor  of  the  province  called  Clarendon,  which  ex 
tended  as  far  south  as  the  St.  John's  River  in  Florida. 

7.  This  settlement  was  under  the  direction  of  Captain  William  Sayle 
and  Joseph  West.    Both  were  afterwards  governors  of  South  Carolina. 
The  vessels  landed  first  at  Port  Royal,  at  that  time  the  best  known  harbor 
on  the  coast,  and  then  sailed  to  a  point  a  few  miles  up  the  Ashley  River,— 
"the  first  high  land  that  seemed  convenient  for  tillage  and  pasturing." 
Here  the  immigrants  planted  a  town  and  built  log  houses.    The  site  did 
not  prove  advantageous,  and  it  was  not  many  years  before  all  the  settlers 
had  removed  to  the  present  location  of  Charleston. 

8.  Several  ship-loads  of  Dutch  emigrants  came  from  Holland  and  from 
New  Amsterdam  ;  a  company  of  hardy  and  intelligent  Scotchmen  sought 
new  homes  in  South  Carolina;    and    large  numbers  of  English,  both 
Churchmen  and  Dissenters,  swelled  the  tide  of  emigration.    The  king  of 
England  sent  out,  at  his  own  expense,  a  small  band  of  Protestant  work 
men  to  introduce  the  productions  of  southern  Europe. 

9.  These  were  Huguenots.    A  century  before  this  the  great  Huguenot 
leader  Coligiiy  (§44)  had  selected  the  shores  of  Carolina  as  a  place  of 
refuge  for  their  persecuted  ancestors.    During  the  three  years,  1686-1688, 
one  million  inhabitants  are  believed  to  have  fled  from  France  because  of 
the  persecutions  by  Louis  XIV.    Besides  those  who  came  to  America, 
thousands  went  to  England,  Switzerland,  and  Holland. 

10.  Negro  slaves  were  brought  to  the  first   plantations  on  Ashley 
River  in  1671. 

11.  The  Covenanters,  or  Cameronians,  were  a  sect  of  Presbyterian 
dissenters  in  Scotland  who  rebelled  against  the  use  of  the  liturgy  which 
King  James  I.  had  forced  upon  them.    In  1638  they  entered  into  a  covenant 
"in  behalf  of  true  religion  and  freedom  of  the  kingdom."    Five  years 
later  they  formed  a  new  covenant  far  bolder  and  more  sweeping  in  its 
terms  than  the  first.     They   held    firmly   to   their   avowed   principles 
throughout  the  reigns  of  James  II.  and  Charles  II.,  and  by  their  tenacity 
incurred  the  displeasure  of  these  sovereigns.    In  1650  Charles  himself, 
when  in  exile,  had  signed  the  covenant  for  the  sake  of  gaining  popu 
larity  and  regaining  the  crown ;  but  after  the  Restoration  he  shamefully 
broke  the  covenant  and  cruelly  persecuted  the  Covenanters.    Richard 
Cameron  was  the  founder  of  this  sect. 

12.  Sir  Edmund  Andros  was  governor  of  New  York  from  1674  to  1682; 
of  New  England  from  1686  to  1689;  and  of  Virginia  from  1692  to  1698.    His 
appointment  as  governor-general  was  very  displeasing  to  the  Puritans. 
His  first  acts  were  arbitrary,  and  he  enforced  them  rigidly.    Not  only  in 
civil  affairs,  but  in  matters  pertaining  to  worship,  did  he  violate  the  long 
established  customs  of  the  people.    He  decreed  that  no  marriage  should 
be  regarded  as  legal  unless  the  ceremony  was  performed  by  a  minister  of 
the  Church  of  England.    His  rule  became  so  oppressive  that  the  pe9ple  of 
Boston  could  endure  it  no  longer,  and  they  deposed  him  by  force  of  arms. 
He  was  arrested,  and  twice  escaped  from  prison,  but  both  times  was  re 
captured.    He  was  permitted  after  awhile  to  return  to  England.    The 
private  character  of  Governor  Andros  was  not  bad,  and  his  despotic  acts 
were  simply  the  fulfillment  of  the  policy  of  his  king. 

13.  Charter  Oak.— This  famous  tree  stood  on  the  grounds  of  Samuel 
Wallys  in  Hartford,  and  was  blown  down  during  a  severe  storm  in  1856. 
It  was  in  1687  that  Governor  Andros  appeared  with  a  band  of  soldiers,  and 
commanded  the  General  Court  to  deliver  to  him  the  royal  charter  of  Con 
necticut.    Governor  Treat  eloquently  argued  the  rights  of  his  people  to 
their  charter,  which  had  been  endeared  to  them  by  so  many  hardships 
and  sufferings  in  its  defense.    The  instrument  was  in  a  box  on  the  table 
in  front  of  him  while  he  spoke.    Suddenly  the  candles  were  put  out,  and 
in  the  darkness  and  confusion  Captain  Wadsworth,  of  Hartford,  seized 
the  box  and  bore  the  precious  charter  safely  to  the  hollow  oak,  where  it 
remained  for  a  long  time. 

U.  S.  H.-6, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


THIRTEEN  ENGLISH  COLONIES. 

VIRGINIA. — Settled  first  at  Jamestown,  1607. 

NEW  YORK. — Settled  first  at  New  York  (by  the  Dutch)  1614;  be 
came  English,  1664. 

MASSACHUSETTS. — Settled  first  at  Plymouth,  1620;  at  Salem,  1629. 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE. — Settled  first  at  Portsmouth,  1623;  became  a  royal 
province,  1675. 

CONNECTICUT. — Settled  first  at  Windsor,  1633;  at  New  Haven,  1638. 

MARYLAND. — Settled  first  at  St.  Mary's,  1634. 

RHODE  ISLAND. — Settled  first  at  Providence,  1636;  at  Newport, 
1638. 

DELAWARE. — Settled  first  at  Christiana  (by  Swedes),  1638;  granted 
to  Penn,  1682. 

PENNSYLVANIA. — Settled  first  near  Philadelphia,  1643;  granted  to 
Penn,  1 68 1. 

NORTH  CAROLINA. — Settled  first  near  Albemarle  Sound,  1663. 

NEW  JERSEY. — Settled  first  at  Elizabethtown,  1665. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA. — Settled  first  at  Charleston,  1670. 

GEORGIA. — Settled  first  at  Savannah,  1733. 

ENGLISH  SOVEREIGNS  DURING  THE  FIRST  COLONIAL  PERIOD. 

ELIZABETH,  A.  D.  1558-1603,  authorized  adventures  of  Frobisher, 
Davis,  Drake,  Gilbert,  and  Raleigh  $$50-54). 

JAMES  I.,  A.  D.  1603-1625,  gave  charters  to  the  London  and  Plym 
outh  companies;  made  laws  for  Virginia;  wrote  a  "Counterblast" 
against  tobacco;  offended  English  Puritans,  who  took  refuge  in  Hol 
land  and  America  ($$55,  74-76). 

CHARLES  I.,  A.  D.  1625-1649,  gave  charter  to  Massachusetts  and 
proprietary  patent  for  Maryland ;  at  the  end  of  civil  war  with  Parlia 
ment,  was  condemned  and  beheaded  (§§70,  85,  125,  126). 

CHARLES  II.,  A.  D.  1660-1685,  gave  popular  charters  to  Connecticut 
and  Rhode  Island ;  proprietary  patents  for  all  the  country  east  of  the 
Kennebec,  and  west  and  south  of  the  Connecticut  as  far  as  Florida  and 
the  Mississippi;  renewed  "Navigation  Acts"  which  bore  heavily  on 
the  colonies  ($$128-130). 

JAMES  II.,  A.  D.  1685-1688,  as  Duke  of  York,  proprietor  of  eastern 
Maine,  New  York,  and  New  Jersey ;  as  king,  sends  Andros  to  govern 
all  the  colonies  east  of  the  Delaware  ({$122,  123,  129,  136,  139). 


QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW.  — PART  I. 


Section 

1.  What  is  known  concerning  the  Mound  Builders?  1-4 

2.  How  did  men  first  reach  America?  5 

3.  Describe  the  cruises  of  the  Icelanders.  6-10 

4.  Sketch  the  main  physical  features  of  the  United  States.  12-19 

5.  Sketch  the  appearance,  customs,  and  tribal  divisions  of 

the  North  American  Indians.  20-29 

6.  What  led  to  the  re-discovery  of  America?  30,  31 

7.  Tell  the  story  of  Columbus.  32-36 

8.  Describe   the  consequent    maritime  adventures  of   En 

glish,  Portuguese,  and  Spaniards.  37~4° 

9.  Describe  the  inland  explorations  of  Narvaez,  De  Soto, 

and  Coronado.  41,  42 

10.  French  adventures  and  early  attempts  at  settlement.  43-46 

11.  What  was  done  in  New  York  by  Champlain  and  the 

French  missionaries?  47 

12.  Describe   the  Spanish  explorations  and  settlements  in 

the  south-west.  48 

13.  Describe  the  English  voyages  and  vain  attempts  at  set 

tlement.  49—54 

14.  Describe  the  first  English  colony  that  kept  its  ground.  55~62 

15.  How  was  Virginia  governed  ?  63-67 

1 6.  Tell  the  story  of  Bacon's  rebellion.  68,  69 

17.  Describe  the  foundation  and  government  of  Maryland.  7°~73 

1 8.  Describe  the  movements  of  English  Puritans  and  Inde 

pendents.'  74-76 

19.  Describe  the  foundation  of  the  Plymouth  Colony.  77~8l 

20.  Describe  the  settlements  east  of  the  Merrimac.  82,   83 

21.  Describe  the  beginnings  of  Massachusetts  and  Harvard 

College.  84-87 

22.  Describe  the  beginning  of  Connecticut.  88,   89 

23.  Describe  the  beginning  of  Rhode  Island.  92,   93 

24.  How  were  religious  differences  regarded  in  Massachu 

setts?  9°-94>  99 

25.  Describe  the  Pequod  War.  94,  95 

(83) 


84 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 

30. 


32. 
33- 
34- 
35- 

36. 
37- 

38. 


How  were  the  several  colonies  governed  ? 

How  were  Indians  treated  and  regarded  ? 

Describe  King  Philip's  War. 

What  was  done  by  the  Dutch  in  exploring  and 

occupying  New  Netherlands  ? 
What  by  the  Swedes  ? 
What  changes  were  made  under  Governors  Kieft 

and  Stuyvesant  ? 

How  was  New  Jersey  first  settled  ? 
On  what  principles  was  Pennsylvania  founded  ? 
What  other  state  belonged  to  Penn  ? 
What  changes  occurred    in    England   during  the 

seventeenth  century  ? 
What  was  done  by  King  Charles  II.  ? 
Describe  the  settlement  and  government  of   the 

Carolinas. 
Describe  the  character  and  policy  of  James  II. 


Section 

96,98 

100-102 

1  02,   103 

104-108 
109,   1  10 

111-115 

116,  118,  137 
119-121 

122 

125-127 

128-130 


117,  136-139 


PART  II.— GROWTH  OF  THE  COLONIES. 


CHAPTER  X. 

PARLIAMENTARY    RULE. 

140.  Revolution    in    England. — James   II.    had   been 
King  of  England  only  three  years  when  the  Whig  or  liberal 
party,  grown  strong  by   his  tyrannies,   called  his  son-in-law 
and  daughter,  the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Orange,  to  super 
sede    him    on    the    throne.      The    accession    of 

A.  D.  1688. 

William  and  Mary  was  hailed  with  great  joy1  by 
the  people  of  New  England,  who  hastened  to  throw  off  the 
hated  government  of  Andros  and  resume  all  their  chartered 
rights.  A  new  charter,  which  was  granted  in  1690,  incor 
porated  the  "Old  Colony"  of  Plymouth  with  Massachusetts, 
and  added  to  the  latter  all  the  country  between  the  eastern 
boundary  of  New  Hampshire  and  the  St.  Lawrence. 

141.  Salem  Witchcraft.2 — One  or  two  towns  in  Mas 
sachusetts  became  about  this  time  the  victims  of  a  strange 
delusion.     All  the  world  then  believed  in  the  possibility  of 
possession  by   evil   spirits.     The  witch — usually  some  help 
less  and  harmless  old  woman — was  supposed  to  issue  from 
her  chimney  at  night,   and  ride  on  a  broomstick  or  on  the 
wings   of   the   wind    to    some   assembly    of   demons.      The 
accused   found  it  impossible  to  prove  their  innocence;    for 
envy  and  spite  seized  the  opportunity  afforded  by  the  pre 
vailing  panic,  and  even  religion,  commonly  the  protector  of 
the  wronged,  was  now  enlisted  against  them.    . 

142.  Twenty    innocent    persons    were    put    to    death    as 

(85) 


86  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

witches,  and  fifty-five  more  were  saved  only  by  false  con 
fessions  extorted  by  torture,  before  the  people  awoke  from 
their  horrid  dream.  Then  Justice  Sewall,  who  had  pro 
nounced  sentence  against  some  of  the  accused,  made  public 
confession  of  his  error  in  the  Old  South  Church  at  Boston, 
and  to  the  end  of  a  long  life  the  good  man  never  failed  to 
renew  this  act  of  penitence  at  each  annual  Fast- day. 

143.  Death   of   Leisler. — The   Dutch  people  of   New 
York  were  rejoiced  at  the  accession  of  their  countryman, 
the  Prince  of  Orange.      In  the  absence  of  Andros  and  his 
lieutenant,    they  made  Jacob   Leisler   their  chief  magistrate 
until  instructions  could  be  received  from  England.     On  the 
arrival  of  Sloughter,   the  new  governor,  with  a  commission 
from  William  III.,   Leisler  sent  to  surrender  the  fort.     But 
Sloughter  chose  to  consider  him  as  a  traitor,  and  in  an  hour 
of  drunkenness  signed  a  warrant  for  his  execution.     All  the 
other  colonies  willingly  acknowledged  William  and  Mary  as 
their  sovereigns. 

144.  The  English  Revolution  settled  three  important 
principles  for  all  English-speaking  nations:  that  a  bad  king 
may   rightly   be    deposed;    that    Parliament   may   alter   and 
decide   the  succession  to   the   throne;    and  in  general,   that 
governments  exist  for  the  benefit  of  the  people,  and  not  for 
the  selfish  advantage  of  their  rulers.     The  establishment  of 
this  last  principle  was  a  long  step  toward  that  greater  revo 
lution  which  made  the  United  States  independent  of  Great 
Britain;  but  for  a  time  they  were  subject  to  a  more  irksome 
despotism  than  before,   namely,   that  of   the  English  Parlia 
ment. 

145.  Board  of  Trade. — In   1696  colonial  matters  were 
intrusted  to  a  "Board  of  Trade  and  Plantations,"  consisting 
of  five  high  officers  of  the  crown  and  eight  special  commis 
sioners.     This  Board  was  to  study  how  to   '  *  make  the  col 
onies  most  useful  and  beneficial  to  England;"  to  revise  the 


ENGLAND'S  COLONIAL  SYSTEM.  87 

acts  of  the  provincial  governments,   and  see  how  all   their 
money  was  expended. 

146.'  Plans  for  Union. — For  the  sake  of  the  common 
defense,  the  Board  recommended  a  closer  union  of  the  col 
onies.  Postal  service,  already  existing  between  Boston  and 
New  York,  was  now  extended,  and  letters  could  be  carried 
eight  times  in  the  year  from  Philadelphia  to  the  Potomac! 
William  Penn  drew  up  a  plan  for  the  union  of  the  American 
states  by  means  of  a  general  congress.  But  the  time  had 
not  come  for  union.  If  it  had  been  effected  then,  it  would 
have  been  under  a  military  despotism. 

147.  The  ''Mercantile  System,"  which  was  already 
ruining  the  colonies  of  Spain,   was  now  adopted  in  its, full 
force  by   England.     The   Navigation   Acts   (§128)    were   re 
newed  and  stringently   enforced.     England   was   to   be    the 
only  market  and  the  only  storehouse  for  colonial  commerce. 
Wool,  being  the  staple  export  of  England,  was  forbidden  to 
be   carried   out  of  any    colony   upon   horse,    cart,    or  ship. 
Even  a  sailor  in  want  of   clothes  must  not  buy  more  than 
forty  shillings'  worth  in  any   American  port,   and  even  this 
small  purchase  was  soon  forbidden.     Not  a  pine  tree  could 
be   felled   on  common   lands  except   by   the   king's  license. 
Later,   all  iron-works  were  prohibited. 

148.  Courts  of  Admiralty. — As  colonial  juries  would 
not  pronounce  men  guilty  for  evading  laws  like  these,  new 
"Courts  of  Admiralty"  were  established  to  try  all  offenses 
against  the  Navigation  Laws.     Among  the  greatest  injuries 
inflicted  by  Parliament  upon  the  southern  colonies  was  the 
forced  increase  of   the  slave  trade.     Virginia  and   Carolina 
made  repeated  attempts  in  their  popular  assemblies  to  stop 
the  importation  of  negroes  from  Africa.     But  Queen  Anne, 
the    successor   of  William   III.,   was,    by   the    terms   of  her 
treaty3  with  Spain,  the  greatest  slave-merchant  in  the  world. 
Many  English  lords  and  capitalists,  also,  had  large  shares  in 


88  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

the  traffic;  and  for  their  advantage  Parliament  reversed  the 
acts  of  the  colonial  assemblies,  and  forced  every  American 
port  to  receive  men  as  merchandise. 

149.  Literary    Progress. — The    twelve    colonies   now 
numbered  about  two  hundred  thousand  people.     At  the  ac 
cession  of  Queen  Anne,   in   1702,   they  had  three  colleges: 
Harvard  in  Massachusetts,  Yale  in  Connecticut,  and  William 
and  Mary  in  Virginia.     There  was  jio  newspaper  printed  as 
yet   upon    the  western   continent;    but  in    1704  the   Boston 
News  Letter,  the  first  American  journal,  was  established.     It 
was  a  small  sheet  which  merely  reported  facts  and  never 
meddled  with  opinions.     There  were  but  two  public  libraries 
in  the  whole  country;  one  was  in   Massachusetts   and   the 
other  in  South  Carolina. 

150.  Georgia. — One  more  state  was  yet  to  be  added  to 
the  cluster  of  English  colonies  on  the  Atlantic.     The  great 
proprietors  of  the  Carolinas  (see  §130),  weary  of  endless  dis 
putes  with  the  people  concerning  rents,  taxes,  and  political 
rights,   surrendered  their  claims  to   the  crown.     A   part  of 
the  surrendered  territory  was  bestowed  by  King  George  II. 
on  General  Oglethorpe4  "  in  trust  for  the  poor."     Oglethorpe 
was  not  only  a  famous  soldier,  but  a  good  and  benevolent 
man.     As  a  member  of  Parliament,  his  attention  was  called 
to  the  wretched   condition   of  persons   imprisoned  for  debt 
under    then-existing    laws    of    England.       Their    sufferings 
seemed  to  him   needless  as  well   as   cruel,   while  the  great, 
rich  lands  of  America  were  lying  untenanted;   and  he  re 
solved  to  open  in  the  New  World  a  refuge  for  the  unfortu 
nate  of  every  name. 

151.  He   himself  came  over  with   the  first   settlers,    and 

lived   for  a  year  in  a  tent,   where  he  afterwards 

laid  out  the  broad  avenues  and  spacious  squares 

of  Savannah.      The  colony   was   named   Georgia,  in   honor 

of  the  king.     The  neighboring  Indians  were  justly  treated, 


OGLETHORPE  IN  GEORGIA. 


89 


and  they  repaid  the  kindness  of  Oglethorpe  by  the  same 
loving  fidelity  which  their  northern  brethren  had  shown  to 
Penn.  German  Lutherans  and  Moravians,  Swiss  Calvinists, 
and  Scotch  Covenanters  were  among  the  early  settlers  of 
Georgia. 

152.  So  long  as  he  remained  with  the  colony,  Oglethorpe 
refused  to  admit  either  slaves 

or  rum,  though  the  latter 
would  have  been  received 
at  a  great  profit  in  exchange 
for  the  pine-timber  which 
was  the  chief  natural  wealth 
of  Georgia.  The  great  En 
glish  preachers,  John5  and 
Charles  Wesley,  who  visited 
America  in  1736,  strongly 
opposed  negro  slavery;  but 
Whitefield,6  a  no  less  cele 
brated  preacher,  whose  won 
derful  eloquence  swayed  all 
hearts,  approved  and  recom 
mended  it;  and  after  Ogle 
thorpe' s  departure  African  servants  were  soon  introduced. 

153.  Spain,  meanwhile,   claimed  the   whole   territory  of 
Georgia   as   her   own    (§45).      Foreseeing   war,    Oglethorpe 
built   forts  at   Augusta,    at   Darien,    and   at   Frederica,    and 
brought  a   regiment   of   soldiers   from    England.     War   was 
declared  in   Europe  in   1739;    and  in   the   following  winter 
General  Oglethorpe  invaded  Florida,   captured  two  fortified 
posts,  and  besieged  St.   Augustine,   though  without  success. 
In  return  the  Spaniards  invaded  Georgia,  but  after  a  severe 
defeat  at  Bloody  Marsh,  on  St.  Simon's  Island,  they  sailed 
away  to  Florida  with  their  forces  much  diminished. 

154.  In   1743    Oglethorpe   left   the  colony  which   he   had 


James  Oglethorpe. 


90  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

spent  ten  years  in  founding,  and  returned  to  England,  where 
for  forty  years  he  was  known  as  a  warm  friend  of  America. 
Considered  as  an  institution  of  charity,  Georgia  was  not 
altogether  a  success:  the  people  who  had  failed  to  support 
themselves  in  England,  had  seldom  the  courage  and  industry 
needed  for  life  in  the  wilderness.  Happily,  more  energetic 
settlers  were  not  wanting,  and  Georgia  became  in  time  one 
of  the  richest  and  most  thriving  colonies. 

Point  out  on  Map  No.  3   the  enlarged    boundaries  of   Massachusetts 
(g  140).     Savannah.     St.  Augustine.     Augusta.     Darien  and  Frederica. 

NOTES. 

1.  King  William  had  always  been  opposed  to  France  and  to  Cathol 
icism,  and  as  the  conquest  of  New  France  was  now  the  great  ambition  of 
New  England,  it  was  hoped  by  the  latter  that  a  common  sentiment 
would  unite  England  and  the  northern  colonies. 

2.  The  spread  of  this  delusion  among  the  intelligent  classes  is  almost 
incredible.    It  was  not  confined  to  America,  but  had  a  much  wider  prev 
alence  in  France.  Switzerland,  and  Germany.    In  England  and  Scotland 
four  thousand  witches  were  put  to  death  during  the  seventeenth  century. 
Among  the  most  ruthless  opponents  of  witchcraft  in  the  colonies  was  the 
Reverend    Cotton    Mather,  then  a  young  minister,   whose  remarkable 
learning  gave  a  fatal  importance  to  his  opinions.    His  book,  entitled 
"  Wonders  of  the  Invisible  World,"  was  approved  both  by  the  governor  of 
the  state  and  by  his  father,  the  president  of  Harvard. 

3.  In  the  words  of  the  treaty:  "Her  Britannic  Majesty  does  offer  and 
undertake,  by  persons  whom  she  shall  appoint,  to  bring  into  the  West 
Indies  of  America  belonging  to  his  Catholic  Majesty  in  the  space  of  thirty 
years,  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  negroes,  at  the  rate  of  four 
thousand  eight  hundred  in  each  of  the  said  thirty  years."    It  was  further 
agreed  that  the  exclusive  slave-trade  of  all  Spanish  America,  as  well  as  of 
the  British  possessions,  should  be  in  the  Queen's  hands. 

4.  James   Edward   Oglethorpe   was  born   in   London  in  1688,  and 
entered  the  army  at  the  age  of  fourteen.    He  served  against  the  Turks  in 
1710-'17,  and  in  1722  was  elected  to  Parliament,  holding  his  seat  for  thirty- 
two  years.    Oglethorpe  returned  to  England  from  America  in  1743,  and 
served  as  major-general  against  the  Pretender  in  1745.    In  1765  he  was 
made  General  of  all  His  Majesty's  forces,  when  he  retired  upon  half-pay. 
His  death  occurred  in  1785. 

5.  John  Wesley  (6.  1703,  d.  1791)  was  the  founder  of  Methodism.    He 
graduated  at  Oxford  in  1727,  and  the  following  year  was  ordained  priest 
in  the  English  Church.    From  1729  to  1735  he  was  an  instructor  at  Oxford, 
where  he  became  the  leader  of  a  set  of  pious  young  men,  who  were  de 
risively  called  "  Methodists,"  from  their  methodical  mode  of  living.    In 
1735,  Oglethorpe  persuaded  Wesley  to  go  to  Georgia  as  a  missionary.    He 
was  accompanied  by  his  brother  Charles  and  two  Oxford  friends;  his 
principal  object  being  the  conversion  of  the  Indians.    It  was  upon  this 
journey  that  Wesley  met  with  some  Moravian  missionaries,  who  so  im 
pressed  him  that,  immediately  upon  his  return  to  England,  he  com 
menced  the  study  of  their  doctrines,  which  finally  led  to  his  establishing 
the  Methodist  Church. 

6.  George  Whitefield  (6.  1714,  d.  1770),  an  associate  of  the  Wesleys  at 
Oxford,  was  the  most  remarkable  preacher  of  his  day,— his  audiences  fre 
quently  numbering  ten  thousand  persons.    He  was  deeply  interested  in 
extending  Methodist  doctrines,  and  visited  the  American  colonies  110  less 
than  seven  times,  preaching  wherever  he  went.    His  death,  from,  asthma, 
occurred  at  Newburyport,  Mass. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

FRENCH    COLONIES. 


155.  While  Englishmen 
thus  occupied  the  Atlantic 
coast,  French  adventurers 

were  laying  the  foundations          Marquette  on  the  Mississippi, 
of   several  important  states 

in  the  great  central  valley,  and  along  the  southern  shores  of 
our  country.  Missionaries,  traders,  and  soldiers  were  the 
three  classes  who  successively  planted  the  lily-standard  of 
France  by  the  lakes  of  central  New  York  and  the  north 
west,  along  the  Mississippi  and  its  branches,  and  by  the 
Mexican  Gulf.  The  Franciscan  and  Jesuit  Fathers1  were 
moved  by  zeal  for  the  souls  of  the  savage  heathen;  and  the 
bells  of  their  little  chapels  broke  the  silence  of  many  a  wil 
derness 'far  from  the  dwellings  of  white  men. 

(91) 


92  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

156.  In  1673  Father  Marquette,2  with  six  Frenchmen, 
made  his  way,  first  of  Europeans,  to  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  descended  it  in  boats  as  far  as  the  mouth 
of  the  Arkansas.      Michigan  traces  its  origin  to  Marquette, 
who  established  the  missions  of  St.   Mary  and  St.  Ignace. 
At  Kaskaskia  he  became,  in  1675,  the  founder  of  Illinois. 

157.  Fur-traders. — Next  to  the  missionaries  came  the 
fur-traders,  pushing  their  canoes  up  every  navigable  stream 
from  the  Great  Lakes,  carrying  them  over  water-sheds  to  the 
head-waters  of  rivers  flowing  to  the  Mississippi;    becoming 
as   hardy  and   skillful   in   wood-craft   as   the   Indians  them 
selves,  from  whom   they  received   treasures  of  rich  furs  in 
exchange  for  knives,  trinkets,  axes,  and  guns. 

158.  The  name  Louisiana  was  given  to  the  whole  region 
watered  by  the  Mississippi  and  its  branches,  by  La  Salle,3 
the  greatest  of  French  adventurers,  who  aimed  to  make  it 
a  vast  inland  empire,  drawing  its  wealth  from  the  fur-trade, 
but   subject   to   the   king   of    France.     Launching   the    first 

European    vessel    above    the    Falls    of  Niagara, 

A.  D.  1679.  .  .       . 

La  Salle  sailed  through  the  Lakes,  establishing 
trading  stations  at  Michillimackinac  and  St.  Joseph's,  in 
Michigan, — then  struck  inland,  and  after  many  losses  and 
disasters  passed  through  the  Mississippi  to  the  Gulf. 

159.  The   French  in  Texas. — Frenchmen  were  eager 
to  take  possession  of  the  great  country  thus  thrown  open  to 
them,  and  their  "Grand  Monarch,"  Louis  XIV.,4  expended 
more  upon  one  expedition  to  plant  a  city  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi  than  all  the  English  sovereigns  in  a  hundred 
years  had  bestowed  upon  their  thirteen  colonies.     Neverthe 
less,    it   proved  a  miserable   failure.     The  fleet   passed   the 
great  river,   and   La  Salle  never  succeeded  in  retracing  his 
way  to  it.     He  was  murdered  by  one  of  his  men,  and  the 
colony  which  he  had  founded  in  Texas  dwindled  away  until 
its  site  was  only  occupied  by  graves. 


FRENCHMEN  IN  THE  SOUTH-WEST.  93 

160.  In    Mississippi    and    Alabama. — In    1699    Le- 
moine   d'Iberville,5   with  two   hundred    French    immigrants, 
arrived    at    Biloxi,     in    the     present    state    of    Mississippi. 
Natchez,  already  a  cluster  of   Indian   villages,    became   the 
site  of  Fort  Rosalie,  a  French  colony,  two  years  later.     In 
1702  the  chief  French  station  on  the  Gulf  was  removed  from 
Biloxi  to  the  fine  harbor  of  Mobile,   and   the   state  of  Ala 
bama  received  its  first  white  inhabitants. 

161.  Louis  XV. — The  eighteenth  century  saw  a  sudden 
revival  of  the  scheme  for  a  great  French  empire  in  America. 
The  throne  of  France  was  inherited  in  1715  by  Louis  XV.,6 
a  child   five   years  old,   under  the  regency  of  the  Duke  of 
Orleans.     The  wars  and  luxuries  of  Louis  XIV.  had  left  his 
kingdom  buried  in  hopeless  debts.     Law,7  a  Scotch  banker, 
formed  a  wild  plan   for  relieving   the   treasury   by  pledging 
the  untold  wealth  of  Louisiana. 

162.  The  "Mississippi  Scheme"  for  a  time  seemed 
successful.     Rich  and  poor  hastened  to  exchange  their  gold 
for  Law's  paper  money,  and  the  public  debt  disappeared  as 
by   magic.     And    though    the    bubble    soon    burst,    leaving 
France  in  deeper  poverty  and  misery  than  before,  the  colony 
prospered,  for  several  thousands  of  people  sought  homes  in 
the  New  World,  of  which  they  had  heard  such  wonderful 
reports.      The  city  of  New  Orleans,   founded  in   1717,   took 
its   name   from   the   Regent.      Law  himself  secured  a  great 
tract  of  prairie-land  on  the  Arkansas,  and  spent  a  fortune  in 
founding  a  city  and  villages.     Though  his  plan  was  not  ful 
filled,  a  new  state  was  thus  begun. 

163.  The  Natchez  (§26)  were  superior  in  some  respects 
to  other  Indians  of   the  region,   and  their  monarch,    ''The 
Great    Sun,"    was   the    proudest    of  native   chiefs.      Around 
him  was  a  race  of   nobles  who  were  treated  with  great  re 
spect   by   the   common  people.     They   were  jealous   of  the 
French,  whose  rapidly  increasing  numbers  threatened  to  oo 


94  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

cupy   the  whole  land;    especially  when   Chopart,   the   com 
mander   in   their  neighborhood,   demanded   for  a  plantation 
the  site  of  their  chief  village,  which  contained  their  holiest 
temple.     Incited  by  the  Chickasaws,  they  planned 

A.  D.  1729.  '  '   * 

a  sudden  vengeance,  and  murdered  m  one  morn 
ing  two  hundred  Frenchmen.  When  the  news  reached  New 
Orleans,  a  force  was  sent  v/hich  surprised  and  defeated  the 
Natchez.  The  "Great  Sun"  and  four  hundred  of  his  sub 
jects  were  sold  as  slaves  to  the  Spaniards  in  Hayti.  All 
who  escaped  joined  other  tribes,  and  the  nation  became 
extinct. 

164.  New  Orleans,  which,  in  1723,  succeeded  Mobile 
as  the  seat  of  French  government   in   Louisiana,   now  con 
tained  4,000  white  settlers  and  2,000  negroes.     It  exported 
to  France  small  quantities  of   cotton,   indigo,   and  the  wax 
of  the  candle-berry,   a  curious  production  which  was  much 
valued  in  those  days.     Its  most  important  trade,   however, 
was  in  the   furs   which    were    collected   from    the    northern 
Indians  and  brought  down  the  great  river  in  canoes.     Dis 
couraged  by  the   first   report   of  the   loss   of  Natchez,    the 
Company  decided  that  the  cost  of  the  colony  exceeded  the 
profit,   and  surrendered  all  its  rights  to  the  crown. 

165.  French  Forts. — The  French  guarded  their  Ameri 
can  possessions  by  a  chain  of  sixty  forts  from  the  mouth  of 
the   St.    Lawrence  to  that  of    the    Mississippi.     Among   the 
most  important,  beside  the  citadels  of  Quebec  and  Montreal, 
were    Fort    Frederic,    Crown    Point    on    Lake    Champlain ; 
Frontenac  near  the  outlet   of   Lake   Ontario;    Niagara,   De 
troit,    Chicagou ;    forts  on  the  present  sites  of  Vincennes  in 
Indiana,   Memphis,   and  Natchez. 

Point  out  on  Map  No.  3  the  towns  founded  by  Marquette  (§156). 
By  La  Salle  (§158).  The  French  settlements  on  the  lower  Mississippi 
and  the  Gulf  (%  160,  162).  The  boundaries  of  French  Louisiana. 
The  chief  military  stations  of  the  French. 


NOTES.  95 


Read  Parkman's  "Jesuits  in  North  America"  and  "  Discoverers  of 
the  Great  West." 

NOTES. 

1.  Jesuit  Fathers.— The  "Society  of  Jesus"  was  founded  by  Ignatius 
Loyola  in  1540.    Its  members  were  pledged  to  extend  the  Roman  Catholic 
religion  over  the  world,  at  whatever  cost  of  personal  sacrifice  or  suffering. 
In  the  early  history  of  America  the  exploits  of  Jesuit  missionaries  among 
the  Indians  furnish  some  of  the  most  thrilling  chapters.    Their  intense 
zeal  for  the  conversion  of  the  savages  is  proven  by  the  terrible  privations 
they  endured,  many  of  their  number  having  fallen  victims  to  exposure, 
starvation,  and  the  scalping-knife.    One  of  them  wrote  from  a  Canadian 
wilderness  in  1647,  after  several  of  his  companions  had  been  murdered  by 
the  Iroquois,  "  Do  not  imagine  we  are  cast  down.    We  shall  die  ;  we  shall 
be  captured,  burned,  butchered.    Be  it  so.    Those  who  die  in  their  beds  do 
not  always  die  the  best  death." 

2.  Jacques  Marquette  was  bom  in  northern  France  in  1637,  and  be 
came  a  member  of  the  order  of  Jesuits  at  the  age  of  seventeen.    lie  re 
ceived  a  good  education,  was  a  fine  linguist,  and  possessed  rare  traits  of 
character.    He  came  as  a  missionary  to  Canada  in  1666,  and  in  a  short  time 
learned  the  languages  of  several  Indian  tribes.    With  Louis  Joliet,  Mar 
quette  set  out,  in  1673,  around  the  Great  Lakes,  to  rind  the  headwaters  of 
the  Mississippi.    In  due  time  they  reached  Green  Bay,  where  a  Jesuit 
mission  had  been  established ;  they  ascended  the  Fox  River  to  "  the  port 
age."    A  mile  and  a  half  brought  them  to  the  Wisconsin  River ;  friendly 
Indians  helped  them  drag  their  canoes.    They  drifted  down  this  larger 
stream  for  a  couple  of  days,  when  they  were  rejoiced  to  see  the  waters  of 
the  great  river  they  had  come  so  far  and  toiled  so  hard  to  discover.    It 
was  the  17th  of  June,  1673,  when  these  intrepid  explorers  entered  the  Mis 
sissippi.    Their  return  was  through  the  Illinois  River;  and  Marquette, 
being  taken  sick,  stopped  at  the  Indian  village  of  Kaskaskia,  while  Joliet 
proceeded  to  Quebec  to  report  the  successful  issue  of  their  journey.    Pere 
Marquette  died  two  years  later,  in  the  wilderness  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
Lake  Michigan,  while  on  his  way  to  the  mission  at  Michillimackinac. 

3.  Robert  Cavalier  de  La  Salle  was  born  at  Rouen  in  1643.    He  was 
educated  for  the  priesthood,  and  early  joined  the  Jesuits;  but  he  chafed 
under  their  severe  discipline,  and  soon  left  the  order.    Becoming  inter 
ested  in  the  accounts  of  discovery  in  the  New  World,  he  set  out  for 
Canada  when  twenty -three  years  old.    He  was  ambitious  to  add  his  own 
name  to  the  list  of  great  explorers,  and  to  extend  the  possessions  of 
France.    Hearing  from  the  Indians  at  Quebec  of  the  great  river  of  the 
west,  the  Miche  Sepe,  La  Salle  conjectured  that  it  must  flow  into  the 
Pacific.    He  determined  to  solve  this  problem.    His  first  expedition  was 
in  the  summer  of  1669,  and  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  the  Ohio  River, 
which  he  followed  to  the  falls  at  Louisville.    The  next  year  he  descended 
the  Illinois,  though  not  to  its  mouth.    The  vessel  which  he  built  above 
Niagara  Falls  was  named  the  "  Griffin  :  "  in  this  he  sailed  around  the  lakes 
as  far  as  Green  Bay,  then  crossed  Lake  Michigan  in  canoes,  and  with  a 
small  party  traversed  the  lower  peninsula  of  Michigan.    They  ascended 
the  St.  Joseph  River,  made  a  portage  to  the  Kankakee,  and  through  this 
stream  reached  the  Illinois.    Just  below  the  present  site  of  Peoria  they 
built  Fort  Crevecceur.    From  this  point  La  Salle  went  back  to  Montreal  in 
midwinter  for  new  supplies,  and  nearly  perished  on  the  journey.    But  in 
1680  he  retraced  his  course  to  the  fort  on  the  Illinois,  and  thence  floated 
down  to  the  Mississippi.    It  was  two  years  later  before  he  descended  the 
"  great  river."    On  the  9th  of  April,  1682,  he  set  up  a  column  near  the  Mis 
sissippi's  mouth,  bearing  the  royal  arms  of  "  Louis  le  Grand,"  and  claimed 
the  vast  stretch  of  territory  from  the  lakes  to  the  gulf,  and  from  the  Alle- 
ghaiiies  to  the  Rocky  mountains,  as  the  domain  of  France.    Recrossing 
the  wilderness  to  Montreal,  he  sailed  for  his  native  land  to  bring  out  a 
colony  to  Louisiana.    In  1684  he  left  the  shores  of  France  with  some  three 
hundred  adventurers.    One  ship-load  turned  back  before  many  days,  and 
many  deserted  at  St.  Domingo.    But  the  resolute  leader,  with  a  remnant 
of  his  baud,  reached  Matagorda  Bay  in  the  spring  of  1685,  and  built  a  fort 


96 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


for  protection  against  the  Indians.  Two  years  of  ill  success,  and  heavy- 
losses  by  disease  and  Indian  attacks,  utterly  dispirited  the  settlers.  They 
blamed  La  Salle  for  their  sufferings,  and  one  or  two  desperate  characters 
determined  to  take  vengeance  on  his  life.  His  assassination  took  place 
in  1687,  on  the  banks  of  the  Trinity  River  in  Texas.  Says  Parkman : 
"America  owes  La  Salle  an  enduring  memory;  for  in  his  masculine 
figure,  cast  in  iron,  she  sees  the  heroic  pioneer  who  guided  her  to  the  pos 
session  of  her  richest  heritage." 

4.  Louis  XIV.  was  king  of  France  for  seventy -two  years— A.  D.  1643- 
1715.    His  reign,  until  towards  its  close,  was  marked  by  prosperity  at  home 
and  valuable  conquests  abroad ;  while  an  unusual  interest  was  shown  in 
literature  and  art.    The  alliance  of  the  French  king,  in  1666,  with  the 
Dutch  against  England,  led  Charles  II.  to  urge  his  American  colonists  to 
attack  the  French  in  Canada ;  but  the  settlers  of  Virginia  and  Massachu 
setts  had  other  work  to  do,  and  did  not  respond  to  the  appeal.    Until  the 
great  discoveries  of  La  Salle,  and  the  compliment  he  bestowed  upon  his 
king  in  the  name  given  to  Louisiana,  Louis  XIV.  seemed  to  care  little  for 
the  enlargement  of  his  territory  in  America.    In  1676  he  wrote  to  Count 
Frontenac :  "  With  regard  to  new  discoveries,  you  will  not  address  your 
self  to  them  excepting  in  a  great  necessity." 

5.  Lemoine  d'Iberville  was  born  in  Montreal,  1661,  and  died  in  Cuba, 
1706.    He  early  entered  the  French  navy,  and  became  distinguished  as 
one  of  its  ablest  officers.    He  won  many  victories  over  the  British  in 
Hudson  Bay,  Newfoundland,  and  off  the  coast  of  Maine.    He  was  selected 
to  plant  colonies  in  the  extreme  south-west  of  New  France,  where  La 
Salle  had  set  the  standard  of  his  king  nearly  twenty  years  before.    After 
building  Fort  Biloxi,  d'Iberville  sailed  for  France,  leaving  his  brother, 
Bienville.  in  command.    He  returned  with  reinforcements  in  A.  D.  1700. 
D'Iberville  named  lakes  Maurepas  and  Poiitchartrain.    He  is  regarded  as 
the  founder  of  Louisiana. 

6.  Louis  XV.  was  the  great-grandson  of  Louis  XIV.    His  reign  cov 
ered  the  period  from  1715  to  1774.    It  was  a  brilliant  era  in  French  liter 
ature,  but  the  profligacy  of  the  court  was  notorious,  and  the  wild  specula 
tion  of   the   times   brought   about   almost   universal   bankruptcy.    The 
"French  and  Indian  War"  occurred  during  the  reign  of  Louis  XV,  by 
which  France  lost  all  her  valuable  possessions  in  America. 

7.  John  Law,  the  founder  of  New  Orleans,  was  born  in  Edinburgh  m 
1671.    He  was  the  son  of  a  goldsmith,  received  a  careful  education,  but 
preferred  gambling  to  business,  arid  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  killed  a 
man  in  a  duel,  for  which  he  was  sentenced  to  death.    Escaping  from 
prison,  he  fled  to  Holland  and  studied  banking  in  Amsterdam.    But  his 
favorite  resort  was  the  gaming-table,  and  by  this  means  he  is  said  to  have 
won  a  large  sum,  which  he  took  with  him  to  Paris  as  capital  for  his 
future  operations.    Law's  private  bank  was  soon  made  a  "  royal  bank," 
the  king  himself  being  security.    He  formed  the  "  Western  Company," 
afterwards  the  "  Indian  Company,"  through  which  he  purposed  to  control 
all  the  commerce  of  New  France  from  Canada  to  the  Gulf  of  , Mexico. 
He  appointed  Bienville  as  Governor-general  of  Louisiana,    From  1718  to 
1721  the  number  of  emigrants  to  this  new  region  was  several  thousand. 
After  the  collapse  of  Law's  great  financial  scheme,  he  left  Paris  in  great 
disfavor,  and  died  in  poverty,  at  Venice,  in  1729. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

INTERCOLONIAL   WARS. 

166.  King  William   III.  was  the  sworn  foe  of  Louis 
XIV.  of  France,  and  their  wars  were  fought  out  with  even 
greater  violence  in  American  forests  than  on  battle-fields  in 
Europe.     For  here  the  French  had  savage  allies,  who,  fall 
ing  upon  the  inland  settlements  of   the  English,   murdered 
women,  children,  and  defenseless  men,  with  atrocities  which 
civilized  people  can  hardly  conceive. 

167.  Four  distinct  wars  between  the  French  and  En 
glish  colonies  are  commonly  named  as: 

KING  WILLIAM'S  WAR   .     .     .     .     A.  D.  1689-1697 

QUEEN  ANNE'S  WAR      .     .     .     .        "  1702-1713 

KING  GEORGE'S  WAR     ....        "  1744-1748 

THE  OLD  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR    "  1754-1763 

These  wars  were  ended  in  Europe  by  treaties  of  peace,  but 
fighting  could  hardly  be  said  to  have  ceased  on  this  conti 
nent  at  any  time  within  the  seventy-four  years. 

168.  Attack  on   Schenectady. — During,  that  time  no 
mother  hushed  her  babe  to  its  night's  rest,   in  any  frontier 
village  of  New  York  or  New  England,  with  the  least  assur 
ance    that   it   would   not   be    snatched    from   her  arms    and 
murdered  before  morning.     The  inhabitants  of  Schenectady, 
in  New  York,  were  awakened  one  wintry  night,  in  1690,  by 
the  savage  war-whoop,  to  find  their  village  in  flames.     The 
few  who  escaped  the  tomahawk  fled,   half-clothed,   over  the 
snow   to   Albany.     The   assailants   gained    nothing    but    the 
addition  of  sixty  scalps  to  their  trophies,  to  repay  them  for 

U.  s.  H.-7.  (97) 


98  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

twenty-two  days'  march  through  snows  and  frozen  forests 
from  Montreal.  Similar  attacks  were  repeated  all  along  the 
northern  frontier.  Hundreds  of  captives  were  dragged  away 
on  the  rapid  return-march  to  Canada,  and  a  single  cry  of 
pain  or  fatigue  was  answered  by  a  blow  from  the  tomahawk. ' 

169.  Congress  of  the  Northern  Colonies. — To  put  a 

stop  to  such  outrages  a  congress  of  the  northern 
colonies  at  New  York  planned  the  conquest  of 
Acadia  and  Canada.  The  first  was  accomplished  by  volun 
teers  from  Massachusetts,  who  conquered  Port  Royal;  but 
the  attempts  against  Montreal  and  Quebec2  ended  in  failure 
and  disaster.  At  the  end  of  the  war  all  conquests  were  re 
stored,  but  a  few  years  later  Port  Royal  was  retaken  and 
named  Annapolis,  in  honor  of  the  queen  of  England. 
Acadia  also  changed  its  name  to  that  of  Nova  Scotia,  by 
which  the  English  had  always  called  it. 

170.  Queen   Anne's   War   was  called   in   Europe  the 

"War  of  the  Spanish  Succession,"  and  it 
ended,  after  eleven  years'  conflict  by  land  and 
sea,  in  placing  a  French  prince  on  the  throne  of  Spain. 
This  was  a  serious  matter  for  the  English  colonies,  as  it 
united  in  one  policy  their  French  and  Spanish  rivals,  who 
hemmed  them  in  on  the  north,  west,  and  south.  Spaniards 
as  well  as  French  now  stirred  up  the  Indians  to  attack  the 
English  towns. 

171.  In  return,   Governor  Moore,  of  South  Carolina,  •  led 
a  company  of  volunteers  through  the  pine  forests  which  then 

covered  Georgia,  and  attacked  the  Spanish  settle 
ments  on  Appalachee  Bay.  A  force  of  twenty- 
three  Spaniards  and  four  hundred  Indians  was  defeated;  six 
towns  submitted  to  the  English,  and  many  of  their  people 
joined  the  South  Carolina  colony.  A  French  fleet  from 
Havana  attempted  the  next  year  to  capture  Charleston,  but 
so  brave  was  the  defense  that  the  invaders  had  to  retire  with 


WARS  BETWEEN  THE  COLONIES.  99 

immense  loss.  The  boundary  between  Georgia  and  Florida 
was  pushed  far  southward  of  the  limit  which  Spain  had 
claimed  before  the  war. 

172.  The  settlements  on  Albemarle  and  Pamlico 
sounds  were  nearly  destroyed  by  the  Tuscaroras.     Their 
wrath  had  been  excited  by  a  survey  of  their  lands  with  ref 
erence  to  a  new  immigration  of   Germans  from   the   Rhine 
provinces,    and  they  resolved  to  exterminate  all  the  white 
men.     The  war  was  fierce  and  long,  but  at  last 

the  Indians  were  so  far  subdued  that  they  aban 
doned  their  old  hunting  grounds,  and  emigrating  northward 
became  the  sixth  nation  in  the  League  of  the  Iroquois  (§24). 

173.  The  French  in  Maine. — The  French,  meanwhile, 
still  claimed  the  greater  part  of  Maine;   and  their  western 
most  station  was  at  Norridgewock,  on  the  Kennebec.3     Here 
Father  Rasles,   a  pious  and  learned  priest,   had  gathered  a 
school   of   Indian    converts,    who   revered   him   as   a   saint. 
The  English  colonists  regarded  him,  however,  as  a  promoter 
of  savage  raids  upon  their  homes,  and  several  attempts  were 
made  to  capture  him.      In  one  of  the  expeditions  an  Indian 
village  above  Bangor,  on  the  Penobscot,  was  burned  to  the 
ground.     At  length  Rasles's  settlement  was  sur 
prised  by  a  party  from  New  England;  he  made 

no  effort  to  escape,  but  bravely  met  death  in  covering  the 
retreat  of  his  flock.  His  chapel  was  burnt,  with  all  the 
Indian  cabins. 

174.  A  new  war  soon  broke  out  between  Florida  and 
the  English  colonies  at  the  south.     General  Oglethorpe  be 
sieged  St.  Augustine  without  success ;  the  Span- 

•       i       .  ,.  .  ,       ,      -  A.  D.  1740-1742. 

lards   invading    Georgia,    were    repulsed    from 
Frederica  with  great  loss.     (See  §  153.) 

All  the  colonies  north  of  Carolina  contributed  men  to  a 
great  English  fleet,  designed  for  the  conquest  of  Mexico  and 
the  Spanish  West  Indies.  Havana  might  have  been  cap- 


100  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


tured,  but  the  admiral  missed  his  opportunity  and  attacked 
Carthagena  on  the  South  American  coast.  It  was  taken,  and 
its  fortresses  were  demolished;  but  there  was  nothing  gained 
to  balance  the  loss  of  20,000  men.  Nine  tenths  of  all  the 
colonial  troops  fell  victims  to  the  unhealthy  climate. 

175.  King    George's   War.  —  These    colonial    contests 
were  only  a  part  of  the  "War  of  the  Austrian  Succession," 
in  which  nearly   all   Europe   was  engaged.     In   America  it 

was    known    as    "King    George's    War."     Its 

A.  D.  1740-1748.  .  _ 

chief  event  in  the  north  was  the  capture  of 
Louisburg,  on  Cape  Breton  Island,  the  strongest  fortress  in 
America.  The  main  burden  of  the  undertaking  was  borne 
by  the  farmers  and  fishermen  of  New  England;  and  their 
success  was  of  great  service  as  proving  their  power.4  In 
1748  peace  was  restored,  one  of  its  conditions  being  the 
restoration  of  all  conquests.  Eight  years  of  untold  suffer 
ing  and  loss  left  the  boundaries  of  all  the  nations  un 
changed. 

176.  The  Ohio  Valley. — French  forts  and  English  set 
tlements  had  now  extended  so  far  as  to  meet  in  the  Ohio 
Valley.     In    1753    Governor    Dinwiddie,    of  Virginia,    sent 
George  Washington,  then  twenty-one  years  of  age,  to  know 
from  the  French  commander  at  Venango 5   "his  reasons  for 
invading  the   British   dominions."     It  was  replied   that  the 
whole  country  was  French  by  right  of  La  Salle's  discoveries, 
and  that  it  could  and  would  be  defended.     Washington  re 
turned,  in  imminent  peril  from  Indian  bullets  and  floating 
ice6;  and  the  next  year  was  put  in  command  of  an  expedi 
tion  to  complete  and  defend  a  fort  already  begun  by  the 
English  at  the  forks  of  the  Ohio. 

177.  Washington's    Failure. — Before  his   arrival  the 
French  had  seized  the  fort,  which  they  named  Du  Quesne 
in  honor  of  the  governor  of  New  France.     Washington  sur 
prised  and  defeated  a  party  of  the  enemy;  and  while  await- 


ATTEMPTED  UNION.  101 

ing  the  promised  aid  from  the  colonies,  he  fortified  his  little 
camp  in  the   "Great   Meadows,"  and   named   it 
Fort  Necessity.     No  help  came,  excepting  a  com 
pany  from  South  Carolina;  and  its  captain,  who  held  a  com 
mission  from  the   king,   claimed   to   supersede   Washington, 
who,  though  a  lieutenant-colonel,  had  received  his  rank  only 
from   the   governor   of  Virginia.      This   unhappy   dissension 
ruined  the  expedition.      Attacked   by   the   French   and    In 
dians,  Washington  was  compelled,  after  nine  hours'  fighting, 
to  retreat,   leaving  the  whole  Ohio  basin  to  the  enemy. 

178.  Union  of  the  Colonies. — The  prospect  of  a  gen 
eral  war  was  now  so  imminent  that  the  English  colonies  were 
forced  to  unite  for  the  common  defense.     A  convention  of 
all    the    colonies   north   of  the    Potomac   was   assembled    at 
Albany,   and  a  plan  of  permanent  union  was  submitted  to 
rt  by  Dr.  Franklin.      (See  §§203-205.)     It  was  accepted  by 
the  convention,  but  rejected  by  the  Board  of  Trade  as  tend 
ing  toward  American  independence;  while  the  people  them 
selves  feared  that  a  central  government  would  interfere  with 
the  rights  of  each  colony. 

179.  French  and  Indian  War. — Though  the  colonial 
troops  had  borne  so  much  of  the  labor  and  hardship  of  the 
wars  with   the   French,   they  were   despised   by  the  regular 
British    officers,    who    made    no    account    of   their    superior 
knowledge  of   Indian  tactics,   and  expected  to  enforce  the 
same  rules  in   the   tangled  forests  of  America  as  upon  the 
fields  of   Europe.     One  result  of   the   French 

and  Indian  War  was  that  American  soldiers, 

beside  profiting  by  British  drill,  learned  something  of  their 

own  value. 

180.  Braddock's   Defeat. — In  1755  a  combined  force 
of  British  and  colonists  undertook  the"  capture  of   Fort  Du 
Quesne  (§177).     General  Braddock  commanded,  and  Wash 
ington   was  his  aid.     As  they  marched  through   the   dense 


102  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Braddock's  Defeat. 

woods  in  solid  columns,  to  beat  of  drum,  suddenly  a  swarm 
of  savages  seemed  to  spring  from  the  earth  on  every  side. 
The  British  could  only  fire  in  platoons,  hitting  rocks  and 
trees  much  oftener  than  Indians,  while  the  colonists,  spring 
ing  behind  trees,  took  aim  with  effect.  Braddock  was 
mortally  wounded,  and  his  men  fled,  while  Washington  and 
his  ''continentals"  covered  their  retreat. 

181.  Three  other  expeditions  occupied  the  summer 
of  1755.  I.  The  forts  in  Acadia  were  taken;  but  the  honor 
of  the  victory  was  effaced  by  the  cruel  expulsion  of  the 
peasantry  from  their  homes.  These  poor  people  had  sur 
rendered  their  arms,  and  wished  only  to  cultivate  their  farms 
in  peace,  but  they  were  driven  on  board  the  British  fleet — 
women  and  children  on  different  ships  from  their  protect 
ors, — and  were  scattered  through  the  colonies,  wherever  it 
suited  their  conquerors  to  leave  them.  To  prevent  their 
return,  their  cottages  were  burnt. 


FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR.  103 

182.  II.  The  attempt  to  seize  Fort  Niagara  failed  through 
desertion  by   Indian  allies,   and  the  discouragement   caused 
by   Braddock's  defeat.     III.    The   portage   between   Hudson 
River  and  Lake  Champlain  was  of  great  importance  to  both 
nations.      The    English    built    Fort    Edward   on    the   upper 
waters  of  the  river;  and  encountered  the  French, 

under   Baron   Dieskau,    near  the   head   of   Lake 
George.     After  a  frightful  slaughter,  with  varying  fortunes, 
Dieskau    was    defeated    and    slain.     The    English    general, 
Johnson,  built  Fort  William  Henry  near  the  field  of  his  vic 
tory. 

183.  The   next   two   years   were   disastrous   to   Great 
Britain.     Fort  Oswego,  with   1,600  men,  ships,  cannon,  and 
valuable   stores,   was   taken   by   the   Marquis  of   Montcalm. 
The  Indians  of  the  Ohio  Valley,  false  to  their  treaties  with 
the   English,    fell   upon    the   western   settlements   and   made 
great   havoc   of   life    and    property.     They   were   punished, 
however,  by  a  brave  company  of  Pennsylvanians  who  de 
stroyed  Kittanning,  the  chief  village  of  the  Delawares. 

184.  In  1757  Fort  William  Henry  was  taken  and  de 
molished   by   the   French   under   Montcalm.      The  garrison 
were  assured  of  a  safe  retreat  to  Fort  Edward,  but  scarcely 
had   they  issued   from   the   surrendered   fortress  when   they 
were  attacked  by  the  savages,  and  many  were  killed.     The 
French  officers  risked  their  lives  and  received  many  wounds 
in    trying    to   restrain    their    allies.      "Kill   me,"    cried    the 
brave  Montcalm,    "but  spare  these  English  who  are  under 
my  protection." 

185.  Of  all  North  America,  France  now  owned  twenty 
parts  in  twenty-five,  Spain  four,  and  England  one.     But  the 
misfortunes  of  the   latter  arose   from   the  incapacity  of  her 
officials  at  home  and  abroad.      In  1757   William  Pitt,  a  plain 
English  commoner,   came  to  the  head  of   affairs,   and   soon 
new   energy   was  felt   in   all    English  movements,    from  his 


104  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

cabinet  in  London  to  the  battle-fields  of  Germany,  America, 
and  India. 

186.  English    Disaster. — Before  the  tide  turned,   one 
great   disaster   befell   the  English.      In  July,    1758,   General 
Abercrombie,   with  the  largest  army  ever  yet  assembled  in 
America,  embarked  on  Lake  George  for  the  capture  of  the 
French  fort,   Carillon,   at  Ticonderoga.      More  than  a  thou 
sand  boats  conveyed  the  soldiers;  the  cannon  were  mounted 
on  rafts ;  and,  as  the  whole  force  moved  down  the  lake,  with 
waving   banners   and   triumphant   strains   of  music,    victory 
seemed  certain. 

187.  Montcalm  commanded  the  French.     His  numbers 
were  less  than  those  of  the  English,   but  his  works  were 
strong,  and  he  was  foremost  among  his  men,  cheering  them 
by  example  not  less  than  by  words,  while  Abercrombie  re 
mained   out   of   sight    and    danger.      In    a   skirmish,    Lord 
Howe,    the  bravest  and   best  of  the  English  officers,    was 
killed.     Two  days  later  the  main  army  was  defeated,  with  a 
loss  of  nearly  2,000  men,  and  General  Abercrombie,  though 
still  outnumbering  the  French  four-fold,  hastily  retreated  in 
"fright  and  consternation." 

1 88.  Colonel  Bradstreet,  of  New  York,  with  difficulty  ob 
tained  leave  to  go  with  a  small  colonial  army  against  Fort 
Frontenac.     He  was  completely  successful;  the  garrison  sur 
rendered,  and  an  immense   quantity  of  stores  and  cannon, 
designed  for  Fort  Du  Quesne,  was  captured  or  destroyed.     A 
few  months  later  the  last-named  fort  was  taken 

by  an  advanced  guard  under  Washington's  com 
mand,  and  was  named  Pittsburgh  in  honor  of  the  great  En 
glish  minister. 

189.  The  same  year  Louisburg,  with  the  islands  of  Cape 
Breton  and   Prince   Edward   were  conquered  by   the  com 
bined  forces  of  Old  and  New  England,  and  France  never 
regained  a  foothold  on  the  eastern  coast. 


ENGLAND^  CAPTURE  OF  QUEBEC. 


105 


Embarkation  at  Acadia. 

igo.  Capture  of  Quebec. — The  great  event  of  the  war 
was  the  capture  of  Quebec  in  1759.  Quebec  was  the 
strongest  natural  fortress  on  the  continent,7  and  the  key  to 
all  Canada.  Montcalm,  vigilant  and  brave,  made  the  most 
of  every  advantage  for  defense;  and  for  two  months  the 
British  forces  lay  beneath  the  inaccessible  heights,  sur 
rounded  by  enemies  and  scarcely  hoping  for  success.8 

191.  The    quick    eyes   of   General  Wolfe,    the   brave 
young  British  commander,    at  length   discovered  a  path  up 
the  cliff  so  narrow  as  hardly  to  allow  of  two  men  walking 
abreast,  and  so  steep  that  they  needed  the  aid  of  projecting 
roots  and  branches  in  the  ascent.      Landing  by  night,  and 
followed  in   silence   by   his   men,    Wolfe   climbed  the   dizzy 
height,    and   surprised    Montcalm    at   daybreak   by   the   un 
welcome  spectacle  of  glittering  rows  of  bayonets  drawn  up 
in   perfect   order   on   the    "Plains  of   Abraham."     The  two 
armies  were  equal  in  numbers,  but  the  English  were  superior 
in  discipline,  and  the  French  were  soon  thrown  into  confusion. 

192.  Both  Wolfe9  and    Montcalm10  received  mortal 
wounds.     As  Wolfe  was  carried   off  the   field,   he  heard  a 
shout,   "They  run!  they  run!"     "Who  run?"  he  whispered. 
"The   French."     He  gave   some   last   orders,    then   sighed, 


io6 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


"Now  God  be  praised,  I  die  happy!"  and  expired.  Mont- 
calm  asked  his  surgeon  how  long  he  had  to  live.  "Ten  or 

twelve  hours,  perhaps 
less,"  was  the  reply. 
"  So  much  the  better," 
he  rejoined.  "I  shall 
not  see  the  surrender 
of  Quebec." 

193.  Treaty  of 
Paris.  — The  attempt 
of  the  French,  next 
year,  to  recapture  their 
great  fortress  was  de 
feated  by  the  arrival 
of  a  large  British  fleet. 
Three  English  armies 
were  concentrated  upon 
Montreal,  which  sur 
rendered  in  September, 
1760.  By  the  Peace 
of  Paris,  signed  in  Feb 
ruary,  1763,  France 
surrendered  to  Great 
Britain  all  the  country 
north  of  the  St.  Law 
rence  and  the  Great 

Lakes,  with  the  provinces  south  of  that  river,  now  included 
in  New  Brunswick,  Nova  Scotia,  and  eastern  Maine,  and  all 
lands  east  of  the  Mississippi.  Spain  ceded  Florida  to  En 
gland,  and  received  from  France  all  the  lands  west  of  the 
Mississippi. 

194.  The  Conspiracy  of  Pontiac. — The  Indian  allies 
of  the  French  did  not  at  once  accept  the  peace.  Pontiac, 
the  great  Ottawa  chief,  incensed  at  the  transfer  of  his  lands 
from  one  European  power  to  another,  stirred  up  a  great 


Wolfe  and  Montcalm  Monument. 


NOTES.  107 


conspiracy  of  the  tribes  on  the  lakes  for  the  destruction  of 
all  the  English  garrisons.  Eight  forts  were  captured.  Hun 
dreds  of  settlers  were  murdered  along  the  western  borders 
of  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  Virginia.  Detroit  was 
saved  by  an  Indian  girl  who  revealed  the  plot  in  time,  but 
it  had  to  endure  an  eight  months'  siege.  At  length  the 
savage  confederacy  was  broken  up,  and  Pontiac  was  slain 
while  on  a  visit  to  the  Illinois. 

Trace  on  Map  No.  3  the  nearest  route  from  Montreal  to  Albany. 
Point  out  Annapolis,  N.  S.  Bangor.  The  Kennebec.  The  Penobscot. 
Cape  Breton  Island.  Louisburg.  Fort  Du  Quesne.  Pittsburgh. 
Lake  George.  Fort  William  Henry.  Fort  Edward.  Oswego.  Niag 
ara.  Detroit.  Ticonderoga.  Quebec.  On  Map  No.  2,  Havana. 
The  change  of  boundaries  by  the  Peace  of  Paris. 

Read  Volume  I.  of  Irving's  "Life  of  Washington;"  Bancroft's 
"History  of  the  United  States,"  Volumes  II.  and  III.;  Parkman's 
"Conspiracy  of  Pontiac;"  Longfellow's  "  Evangeline." 


NOTES. 


1.  "An  attack  upon  Haverhill  (Mass.)  was  memorable  for  the  subse 
quent  exploit  of  Hannah  Dustin,  who,  with  an  infant  only  a  few  days 
old,  a  boy  named  Samuel  Leonardson,  and  another  woman,  was  carried 
off'  to  an  Indian  camp  on  an  island  in  the  Merrimack,  near  Concord, 
N.  H.    The  infant,  as  usual,  was  killed  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree.    The 
sight  of  this  prepared  the  mother's  heart  for  her  bloody  reprisal.    One 
day  when  the  boy  was  at  work  chopping  for  the  Indians,  he  casually 
asked  one  of  the  savages  how  and  where  he  struck  a  man  with  a  hatchet. 
The  Indian,  pleased  to  show  that  bit  of   sylvan  skill,  told  him.    That 
night  the  three  captives  with  hatchets  slew  the  ten  sleeping  guards,  and 
Hannah,  remembering  her  infant,  scalped  them.    Then  they  dropped 
down  the  river  in  a  canoe  to  Haverhill."— Bryant. 

2.  A  fleet  from  New  England  arrived  in  front  of  Quebec,  but  the  ad 
miral's  demand  for  a  surrender  was  met  with  derision.    Owing  to  mis 
management  the  expedition  had  been  so  delayed  that  the  alarm  was 
given  of  their  approach,  and  the  assailants  found  the  strongest  fortress  in 
America  guarded  by  a  greater  force  than  their  own.    They  therefore 
sailed  away  without  attacking. 

3.  By  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  in  1713,  at  the  close  of  Queen  Anne's  War 
in  Europe,  Acadia,  Newfoundland,  and  Hudson  Bay  Territory  were  trans 
ferred  to  the  English. 

4.  Colonel  William  Pepperell,  of  Kittery,  Maine,  commanded  this  ex 
pedition,  and  through  his  success  became  the  first  American  baronet. 
The  city  of  London  presented  him  with  a  silver  table  and  a  service  of 
plate,  and  the  king  made  him  a  lieutenant-general. 

5.  Venango  was  a  French  fort  on  a  branch  of  the  Alleghany  River. 


io8  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


6.  On  his  homeward  journey  Washington  was  fired  upon  by  an  Indian 
not  fifteen  steps  distant.     Fortunately  the  latter  missed  his  mark,  and 
was  captured    by   Washington  and    his   guide,  Christopher   Gist.    Gist 
would  have  killed  the  savage  at  once,  but,  acting  on  Washington's  advice, 
they  merely  detained  him  a  prisoner  until  night-fall,  and  then  allowed 
him  to  depart. 

While  attempting  to  cross  the  Alleghany  on  a  raft,  Washington  was 
hurled  amidst  jthe  grinding  ice.  He  clung  to  the  timbers  of  the  destroyed 
raft,  however,  and,  reaching  an  island,  he  and  Gist  waited  in  the  freezing 
weather  until  morning,  when  they  found  ice  on  the  river  solid  enough  to 
cross  on  foot. 

7.  Quebec  is  built  partly  on  and  partly  at  the  foot  of  a  promontory, 
and  is  divided  into  what  are  known  as  the  "  Upper  "  and  the  "  Lower  " 
Town,— the  Upper  Town  being  surrounded  by  a  heavy  wall.    The  highest 
point  of  the  promontory  is  333  feet  above  the  river,  and  here  are  built  the 
fortifications  which  have  given  to  Quebec  the  name  of  "  the  Gibraltar  of 
America."    The  "  Plains  of  Abraham  "  are  the  open  fields  on  top  of  the 
promontory,  outside  the  walls.    A  very  correct  idea  of  the  city  may  be 
obtained  from  the  illustration  on  page  137. 

8.  On  the  31st  of  July  Wolfe  made  an  unsuccessful  attack  on  Mont- 
calm's  forces,  which  were  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  Lower  Town.    The 
instant  the  English  landed  from  their  boats  they  rushed  impetuously  for 
ward  without  forming  in  line  or  waiting  for  orders.    Volley  after  volley 
mowed  them  down,  and  a  great  storm  bui'Sting  over  the  town  made  the 
steeps  too  slippery  to  climb.    A  retreat  was  ordered,  but  the  flower  of 
Wolfe's  army  was  left  on  the  bloody  field. 

9.  James  "Wolfe  (6. 1726,  d.  1759)  entered  the  English  army  as  a  second 
lieutenant  at  the  age  of  fifteen.    He  distinguished  himself  as  a  brigadier- 
general  at  the  siege  of  Louisburg  (§  189),  and  Pitt  selected  him  to  com 
mand  the  expedition  against  Quebec,  making  him  a  major-general,  with 
a  force  of  8,000  men  and  a  strong  fleet. 

Parkman  says  of  him :  "  His  person  was  slight,  and  his  features  by  no 
means  of  a  martial  cast.  His  feeble  constitution  had  been  undermined 
by  years  of  protracted  and  painful  disease.  His  kind  and  genial  disposi 
tion  seemed  better  fitted  for  the  quiet  of  domestic  life  than  for  the  stern 
duties  of  military  command;  but  to  these  gentler  traits  he  joined  a  high 
enthusiasm,  and  an  unconquerable  spirit  of  daring  and  endurance,  which 
made  him  the  idol  of  his  soldiers,  and  bore  his  slender  frame  through 
every  hardship  and  exposure."  Again,  of  the  night  the  heights  were 
scaled,  he  says:  "The  ebbing  tide  sufficed  to  bear  the  boats  along,  and 
nothing  broke  the  silence  of  the  night  but  the  gurgling  of  the  river  and 
the  low  voice  of  Wolfe  as  he  repeated  to  the  officers  about  him  the 
stanzas  of  Gray's  '  Elegy  in  a  Country  Church-yard,'  which  had  recently 
appeared,  and  which  he  had  just  received  from  England.  Perhaps,  as  he 
uttered  those  strangely  appropriate  words, 

'  The  paths  of  glory  lead  but  to  the  grave,' 

the  shadow  of  his  own  approaching  fate  stole  with  mournful  prophecy 
across  his  mind.  '  Gentlemen,'  he  said,  as  he  closed  the  recital, '  I  would 
rather  have  written  those  lines  than  take  Quebec  to-morrow.' " 

10.  Louis  Joseph  Montcalm  de  Saint- Veran  (&.  1712,  d.  1759)  was  a 
French  marquis.    He  entered  the  army  when  fourteen  years  old,  and 
gained  distinction  in  several  European  wars.    In  1756  he  was  put  in  com 
mand  of  the  French  troops  in  Canada,  and  was  very  successful,  despite 
the  much  larger  and  better  disciplined  forces  arrayed  against  him.    His 
own  troops  were  mainly  raw  Canadian  volunteers,  brave,  but  without  ex 
perience  or  discipline,  poorly  clad  and  half  starved.    The  governor  of  the 
province  was  at  variance  with  Montcalm,  and  hampered  his  movements 
so  that  he  labored  under  great  disadvantages.     Montcalm  received  his 
mortal  wound  within  a  few  moments  after  Wolfe's  fall.    Both  generals 
had  been  wounded  earlier  in  the  action,  but  both  kept  the  field  until  shot 
down  to  rise  no  more.    When  told  by  the  surgeons  that  he  could  not  re 
cover,  Montcalm  replied,  "  I  am  glad  of  it."    He  was  buried  at  his  own 
request  in  an  excavation  made  by  the  bursting  of  a  bombshell.    A  mon 
ument  common  to  the  memory  of  the  two  generals  now  adorns  Quebec. 
See  illustration  page  106. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

LITERATURE   AND    GENERAL   PROGRESS. 

195.  It  may  be  believed  that  the  first  settlers  in  America 
found  enough  to  do  in  subduing  the  wilderness  and  devising 
the  laws  under  which  their  children  were  to  live,   without 
writing  books.     But  so  anxious  were  they  to  be  remembered 
and  understood  in  England,   and  to  be  reinforced  by  new 
parties  of  emigrants;    so  full  of  wonder  and  delight  in  the 
new  world  that  was  thrown  open  to  them,  and  so  desirous 
that  their  children  should  not  lack  the  advantages  that  they 
would  have  enjoyed  at  home,  that  a  mass  of  literature  does 
in  fact  date  from  the  very  earliest  years  of  the  colonies. 

196.  The  first   book  written  in  America  was  Cap 
tain  John   Smith's   (§§56-59)    "True  Relation  of   Virginia," 
which  he  sent  home  in   1608.     A  few  months  later  he  dis 
patched  to  the  London  Company  a  report  of  the  Jamestown 
Colony,   with   a  map   of   Chesapeake  Bay  and  its  tributary 
rivers,    and   a   very    lively   description    of   the    surrounding 
country.     In    spite    of   the   hunger   and   hardship   of   those 
early   years,    he    declares   that    ' '  Heaven   and   earth   never 
agreed  better  to  frame  a  place  for  man's  habitation." 

197.  Beside  many  other  descriptive  works,  Virginia  made 
one    contribution    to    elegant    letters;     for    George    Sandys, 
treasurer   of   the    colony,    A.   D.    1621-1625,    beguiled    the 
loneliness   of   his   absence   from   polished   society,    and   the 
horror  attending   the  Indian  massacre   (§64)  by   translating 
Ovid  into   English  verse.     The  Roman   poet  had  been  an 
exile  in  a  savage  country  near  the  Black  Sea,  and  doubtless 

his  translator  sympathized  with  his  condition. 

(109) 


no  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

198.  The  Ministers. — No  class  of  men  contributed  so 
much  to   the   intellectual   growth   of   New   England   as  the 
ministers  of  religion.     All  were  educated  men,  and  some  of 
them  were   distinguished   by   immense   learning.      As   there 
were  yet  no  newspapers  nor  lyceum  lectures,  and  few  new 
books,  ministers  were  the  authors  of  public  opinion,  teaching 
their  people  how  to  think  as  well  as  how  to  believe  and  act. 

Among  the  greatest  was  Rev.  John  Cotton,^  who  came  to 
the  Massachusetts  Colony  in  1633.  He  had  been  rector  of 
St.  Botolph's  at  Boston,  in  England,  and  it  was  in  compli 
ment  to  him  that  the  Trimountain  settlement  had  received 
the  name  which  has  become  so  famous.  He  was  esteemed 
the  "mightiest  man  in  New  England,"  and  "whatever  he 
delivered  in  the  pulpit  was  soon  put  into  an  order  of 
court." 

Next  were  Thomas  Hooker  (§88)  whose  saintly  and  kingly 
presence  inspired  courage  and  hope;  Thomas  Shepard,  minis 
ter  of  Cambridge;  President  Chauncey,  of  Harvard; — all  men 
of  vast  learning.  Increase  Mather,2  another  Harvard  pres 
ident,  represented  his  fellow  colonists  in  England  during 
the  troublesome  reign  of  James  II.  (§§136-139).  His  son, 
Cotton  Mather,  wrote  a  prodigious  number  of  books,  of 
which  the  greatest  was  his  " Magnalta"  or  ecclesiastical 
history  of  New  England.  Another  was  entitled  "Memorable 
Providences  relating  to  Witchcraft"  a  subject  in  which  the 
author  had  a  most  unfortunate  interest  (See  Note  2,  p.  90). 

199.  Historians. — Governor  Bradford,  of  Plymouth  (§80), 
may  be  called  the  father  of  American  history.     His  "History 
of  Plymouth  Plantation  "  is  a  noble  record  of  events  in  which 
he  had  part.     The  Journal  and  Addresses  of  Governor  Win- 
throp,   of   Massachusetts   Bay,   are  interesting  memorials  of 
that  accomplished  lawyer  and  excellent  man,   who  devoted 
large  wealth  and  great  abilities  to  the  service  of  the  colony. 
His  son,  John   Winthrop,  Jr.,  rendered  equal  service  to  Con 
necticut  (§89). 


COLLEGES.  ill 

200.  Yale   College. — Elihu    Yale,    a  later   governor  of 
Connecticut,  was  a  liberal  benefactor  of   the  college  which 
bears  his  name;  but  its  origin  is  due  to  ten  clergymen,  who 
bringing  each  a  few  books  from  his  own  scanty  library,  met 
at   Branford,    in    1700,    and,    depositing    their   gifts   upon    a 
table,  said,    "I  give  these  books  for  the  founding  of  a  col 
lege  in  this  colony."     The  first  terms  were  held  at  Wethers- 
field,  later  ones  at  Saybrook;    but  in   1716  the  college  was 
planted  on  its  present  site  at  New  Haven. 

201.  College  of  William  and  Mary, — The  desire  of 
Virginians  to  have   a   college   for   their   sons  was  long  frus 
trated  by  such  governors  as  Berkeley  (See  Note  2,  p.  47). 
The  House  of  Burgesses,   however,   set  apart  lands  for  the 
support  of   a  college,   and  in   1692  the  long-desired  charter 
was  obtained  from  King  William  and  Queen  Mary,  together 
with    grants    of    money,    land,    and    permanent    duties    on 
tobacco.     The  college  took  the  name  of  its  royal  benefac 
tors,  and  was  established  at  Williamsburg,  A.  D.   1693. 

Other  Colleges. — Four  more  colleges  were  founded  .dur 
ing  our  second  colonial  period:  at  Princeton,  N.J.,  in  1746; 
King's,  now  Columbia  College,  in  New  York,  1754;  one  at 
Philadelphia,  now  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  1755;  and 
that  of  Rhode  Island,  now  Brown  University,  1764.  These 
colleges,  even  in  their  early  years,  did  grand,  good  service 
by  training  the  men  who  were  to  be  the  fathers  of  the  Re 
public.3 

202.  Jonathan   Edwards. — Among  the  writers  of  the 
later  colonial  period  the  greatest,  perhaps,  was  Jonathan  Ed 
wards  (b.   1703,  d.   1758),    whose   "Essay  on  the  Freedom  of 
the  Witt"  revealed  to  the  world  the  most  acute  and  original 
mind  which  America  has  produced.     It  was  written  at  the 
little  village  of  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  where  he  was  acting  as 
missionary  to  the  Indians.     His  childhood  was  no  less  re 
markable.     Before  he  was   thirteen   years  old  he   had  read 


112  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

many  works  in  Latin,  Greek,  and  Hebrew,  beside  the  most 
learned  of  English  books;  but  his  observations  in  Natural 
History  show  that  his  studies  had  not  been  confined  to 
printed  pages.  He  was  graduated  at  seventeen  from  Yale 
College,  preached  in  New  York  before  he  was  twenty,  was 
twenty-four  years  pastor  at  Northampton,  Mass.,  and  be 
came  president  of  Princeton  College  two  months  before  his 
death.  His  wonderful  power  as  a  preacher  was  ascribed  to 
his  "immense  preparation,  long  forethought,  sedulous  writ 
ing  of  every  word,  touching  earnestness,  and  holy  life." 

203,  Franklin. — But  the  mind  which  most  perfectly  rep 
resented  and  most  strongly  influenced  the  character  of  Amer 
ican  institutions  was  that  of  Benjamin  Franklin^  (b.  1706, 
d.  1790),  the  printer-boy  of  Boston,  the  self-taught  sage  of 
Philadelphia,  the  representative  of  the  colonies  at  London, 
the  ambassador  of  the  United  States  at  Paris,  whose  plain, 
good  sense,  genial  humor,  and  honest  self-respect  made  him 
the  favorite  of  all  ranks  and  classes.  He  had  accustomed 
himself  from  boyhood  to  write  on  public  affairs,  and  his 
pamphlets  on  the  interests  of  England  and  the  rights  of  the 
colonies  were  read  with  great  attention  on  both  sides  of  the 
ocean.  Examined  by  Parliament  in  1765  concerning  the 
probable  effect  of  the  Stamp  Act  in  America  (§220),  he  re 
plied  with  so  much  firmness,  dignity,  and  intelligence  that 
even  the  bitterest  enemies  of  the  colonies  were  forced  to 
respect  his  arguments.  A  distinguished  statesman  declared 
him  to  be  the  greatest  diplomatist  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
"  He  never  spoke  a  word  too  soon;  he  never  spoke  a  word 
too  late ;  he  never  spoke  a  word  too  much ;  he  never  failed 
to  speak  the  right  word  at  the  right  time." 

204.  His  most  popular  work  was  "Poor  Richard's  Alma 
nac,"  whose  successive  numbers  were  afterwards  abridged 
and  reprinted  in  one  volume  under  the  title  of  "The  Way  to 
Wealth."  It  contains  a  fund  of  homely  wisdom,  and  Frank- 


SCIENCE. 


lin  himself  attributed  the  rapid  increase  of  prosperity  in 
Philadelphia  to  the  extent  to  which  the  people  read  and  fol 
lowed  his  good  advice.  (See  Note  6,  p.  167.) 

205.  Among  his  great  services  to  his  country  was  his  or 
ganization  of  its  postal  service  as  early  as  1754.      "Every 
penny  stamp  is  a  monu 
ment  to  Franklin."     His 

simple  experiment  with  the 
kite,  proving  lightning  and 
thunder  to  be  caused  by 
electric  currents,  and  his 
subsequent  invention  of 
the  lightning-rod,  gave  him 
a  high  place  among  scien 
tific  men.  His  philosoph 
ical  writings  are  in  the 
same  clear  language  as  his 
charming  autobiography 
and  almanac,  for  he  aimed 
to  make  wisdom  useful 
rather  than  dignified. 

206.  Science. — From   the   beginning   the   colonies  con 
tained  many  noted  students  of  natural  science.     The  soils, 
minerals,  plants,  and  animals  of  the  new  continent  were  all 
objects  of  keen  research.     Linnaeus,  the  noted  Swedish  nat 
uralist,  declared  John  Bartram,  the  Quaker  gardener  of  Phil 
adelphia,  to  be  the  "greatest  natural  botanist  in  the  world." 
Virginia  and   the  more  southerly  colonies  had   several  bot 
anists  of  European  fame.      But  the  scientific  reputation  of 
America   was-  established    when    Franklin,    in    1744,    drew 
about  him  other  gentlemen  of  kindred  tastes,  and  formed 
the  American  Philosophical  Society.     It  was  an  important  bond 
of  union  among  the  best  men  in  all  the  colonies. 

207.  John  Woolman  is  known  only  by  his  "Journal"  with 
u.  s.  H.-8. 


Benjamin  Franklin. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


1 

a  few  tracts  and  letters;  but 
these  are  of  value  as  express 
ing  the  pure  conscientiousness 
of  the  early  "Friends,"  and 
justifying  the  great  influence 
they  had  upon  the  national 
character.  Woolman's  efforts 

went  far  to  put  an   end  to  slave-holding  among   Quakers. 

He  was  born  in  West  Jersey,   1720,  and  died  in  England, 

1773- 

208.  Pamphlets  on  questions  concerning  govern 
ment  and  popular  rights  were  the  most  valuable  part  of 
American  literature  during  the  second  colonial  period.  The 


COLONIAL  CUSTOMS.  115 


theory  of  a  great,  free  nation  was  slowly  forming  in  some 
of  the  best  minds  of  the  age ;  and  the  American  state  papers 
of  the  next  generation  were  recognized  in  England  as  rank 
ing  among  the  wisest  productions  of  all  ages. 

209.  Colonial   Habits. — All   the   colonies   had   greatly 
increased  in  wealth  by  industry  and  frugal  living,  while  still 
among  the  mass   of  the   people   food,    dress,   and   furniture 
were  of  the  simplest  kind.     Clothing  was  usually  home-spun 
and  home-woven  from  the  wool  of  their  own  flocks  or  the 
flax   of  their  own   fields.     Yet  there  were  some  families  in 
every  colony  that  imported  costly  furniture  and  silver-plate 
from   Europe,    and  even   plain   people   often   invested   their 
slow  savings  in  strings  of  gold  beads  or  in  laces  and  satins 
for  great  occasions.     In  some  colonies  apparel  was  limited 
by  law  to  the  means  of  the  wearer:  the  grave  magistrates  had 
much    trouble    with    the    silken    hoods    and    kirtles    of    the 
women,   the   "great  boots,"  gold  buttons,   and  ornamented 
belts  of  the  men;  but  if  the  accused  could  prove  that  their 
circumstances  warranted  the  expense,   they  were  dismissed 
without  a  fine. 

210.  In  New  England  especially  "plain  living  and  high 
thinking"   were  the  rule.     Great  respect  was  paid   to  edu 
cated  men.     Ministers  and  magistrates, — with  their  sons,  if 
college-bred, — alone    bore    the    title   of   Mister;    Goody, — a 
contraction  for  Goodman  or  Goodwife, — was  the  mode  of 
address   for   ordinary   people.      Punishments    were   inflicted 
without  the  least  regard  to  the  personal  dignity  of  the  cul 
prit.     When   two  men  quarreled   in  the  Plymouth  Colony, 
they  were  bound  together,  head  to  head  and  foot  to  foot, 
for  twenty-four  hours.     In  New  York   a   scolding  wife  was 
made  to  stand  all  day  before  the  door  of  her  house,  having 
her  tongue  enclosed  in  a  cleft  stick.     The  Pillory,  as  repre 
sented  in  the  engraving,  was  a  wooden  frame  in  which  the 
head  and  hands  of  the  criminal  were  held  fast,  while  he  was 


n6  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

exposed  to  the  taunts  and  sneers  of  the  crowd.  In  Vir 
ginia,  as  in  the  mother-country,  this  was  a  common  penalty 
for  religious  dissent 

211.  Roads,   in  all  parts  of  the  country,   were  few  and 
poor.     Whole  families  went  to  church  through  the  woods  on 
horseback,  the  wife,  sometimes  with  a  child  on  her  lap,  sit 
ting  on  a  pillion  behind  her  husband.     In  exposed  settle 
ments  the  father  carried  his  gun  and  left  it  at  the  church- 
door  in  the  care  of  the  sentinel  who  watched  for   hostile 
Indians.     Long  journeys  were  made,  if  possible,  by  water, 
but   stage-coaches   connected   Boston  with   Providence,    and 
New  York  with  Philadelphia.      Like  English  vehicles  of  the 
same  kind,  they  were  called  ' '  flying-machines. " 

212.  Manufactures. — At  first  nearly  all   the  people  in 
the  colonies  were  farmers  or  fishermen;  but  necessity  soon 
compelled   them  to  make   salt,   glass,  paper,  farmers'   tools, 
shoes,    hats,    and    gunpowder;    and,    though    almost    every 
home  had  its  loom,   cloth  factories  were  also  set  up.      Cir 
cumstances   favored  inventive   talent,   for  which   Americans 
have  always  been   famous.     New   England  had  a   saw-mill 
one  hundred  and  thirty  years  before  one  was  built  in  the 
mother-country.     But  England,  far  from  encouraging  manu 
factures  in  the  colonies,   checked  and  thwarted  them,  lest 
they  should  become  rivals  of  her  own. 

213.  Commerce   and   Piracy. — The  first  product  of 
New  England  which  reached  Europe  was  a  cargo  of  sassa 
fras  root,   taken  by  Gosnold  (§54)  in   1602.     Before  long, 
furs,  fish,  lumber,  corn,  rice,  and  tobacco  furnished  freight 
for  multitudes  of  ships ;  and  a  lucrative  commerce  sprang  up 
with  England  and  the  West  Indies,  and  between  the  colo 
nies.     This   commerce    was   seriously   molested   by   pirates, 
whose  black  flags  were  met  in  all  the  seas. 

To  suppress  their  ravages  the  British  Admiralty,  in  1696, 
ordered  Captain  Kidd*  with  a  ship  to  the  East  Indies.  But 
Kidd,  after  retaking  several  prizes,  thought  it  more  profitable 


ENGLISH  GOVERNORS. 


117 


to  turn  pirate  himself.  For 
two  years  he  pursued  a  reck 
less  career  of  robbery  and 
rapine,  but  he  was  at  length 
brought  to  justice,  and  was 
hanged  on  ''Execution  Dock" 
in  London. 


Going  to  Church. 


214.  Royal  Officials. — In  a  review  of  civil  affairs,  it 
can  not  be  said  that  England  ever  employed  her  best  brains 
in  governing  America.  Younger  sons  of  great  families,  who 
were  too  stupid  or  too  dissolute  to  find  places  at  home,  were 
made  governors,  secretaries,  or  treasurers  in  the  colonies, 


Il8  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

and  used  their  opportunities  for  mending  their  fortunes  as 

rapidly  as  possible.     Such,  in  New  York,   was  the  haughty 

but    imbecile    Lord    Cornbury,    a    cousin    of 

A.  D.  1702-1709.  IT     i          i  •  i 

Queen  Anne,  who  applied  to  his  own  pleasure 
the  funds  voted  for  the  defense  of  the  harbor,  and  told  the 
Colonial  Assembly  that  it  had  no  rights  but  such  as  the 
queen  was  pleased  to  allow  it.  He  was  more  useful  to  the 
colony,  however,  than  a  better  governor  might  have  been, 
for  he  effectually  taught  the  people  to  stand  for  their  rights. 
Here  and  there  a  royal  officer  may  have  been  more  justly 
and  kindly  disposed,  but  as  a  class  they  regarded  their  own 
interests  first,  England's  next,  but  a  long  way  after,  and 
those  of  the  colonies  last  of  all. 

Even  at  home  the  great   dignitaries  who  had  charge  of 
colonial  affairs  were  usually  less  wise  than  great.     The  Duke 
of   Newcastle,   who  for  twenty-four  years  was 
minister  for  British  America,  owed  his  position 
partly  to  his  incapacity,  being  appointed  through  Sir  Robert 
Walpole,    then  prime  minister  of  England,   who  feared  to 
have  men  of  ability  about  him.     The  duke  is  said  to  have 
directed  letters  to  the  "Island  of  New  England,"  and  to 
have  been  unable  to  tell  whether  Jamaica  was  in  the  Med 
iterranean  Sea  or  elsewhere. 

Read  Volumes  I.  and  II.  of  Tyler's  "  History  of  American  Liter 
ature ;"  Volume  I.  of  Duyckinck's  "Cyclopaedia  of  American  Liter 
ature;"  Franklin's  "Autobiography;"  Palfrey's  or  Elliott's  "History 
of  New  England;"  Irving's  "History  of  New  York  by  Dietrich 
Knickerbocker;"  Longfellow's  "Courtship  of  Miles  Standish "  and 
"New  England  Tragedy;"  Whittier's  "Margaret  Smith's  Journal," 
"Mabel  Martin,"  and  "The  Changeling;"  Hawthorne's  "Twice  Told 
Tales,"  and  other  stories  of  the  colonies  in  New  England. 

NOTE  TO  TEACHERS.— Younger  classes  may  do  well  to  omit  Chapter 
XIII  for  the  present,  or  to  use  it  only  for  reading  and  explanation  in  the 
class-room.  Older  pupils  will  be  profited  by  studying  the  several  topics 
with  the  aid  of  the  books  above  mentioned  and  others,  and  making  them 
the  subjects  of  written  essays. 


NOTES.  119 


NOTES. 

1.  Rev.  John  Cotton,  "the  patriarch  of  New  England,"  was  a  bright 
scholar  at  the  University  of  Cambridge,  and  for  twenty  years  a  noted 
Puritan  preacher  in  his  English  home.    For  refusing  to  kneel  at  the  sac 
rament,  he  incurred  the  displeasure  of  Archbishop  Laud,  and  was  com 
pelled  to  flee  the  country.    Cotton  could  write  or  speak  readily  in  Latin, 
Greek,  and  Hebrew.    His  oratory  was  simple,  and  his  sermons  pointed 
and  eminently  practical.    He  originated  the  practice  in  New  England  of 
observing  the  Sabbath  from  Saturday  evening  until  Sunday  evening. 
His  more  important  writings  were  "  Milk  for  Babes,"  a  religious  book  for 
children,  and  "  The  Power  of  the  Keys,"  a  treatise  on  church  government. 
Mr.  Cotton  died  at  Boston  in  the  year  1652. 

2.  Increase  Mather  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  graduated  at  Harvard, 
and  married  a  daughter  of  Rev.  John  Cotton.    He  is  said  to  have  passed 
sixteen  hours  daily  in  his  study.    He  was  the  author  of  nearly  one  hun 
dred  publications.    Cotton  Mather  was  his  son.    His  death  occurred  in 
1723. 

3.  During  the  same  period  "  there  had  been  established  in  the  American 
colonies  at  least  forty-three  newspapers,— one  in  Georgia,  four  in  South 
Carolina,  two  in  North  Carolina,  one  in  Virginia,  two  in  Maryland,  five  in 
Pennsylvania,  eight  in  New  York,  four  in  Connecticut,  three  in  Rhode 
Island,  two  in  New  Hampshire  and  eleven  in  Massachusetts."—  Tyler's 
"History  of  American  Literature." 

4.  Benjamin  Franklin.— The  "  Encyclopedia  Britannica"  describes 
Franklin  as  "  the  most  uniformly  readable  writer  of  English  who  has  yet 
appeared  on  his  side  of  the  Atlantic.    An  inexhaustible  humor,  a  classic 
simplicity,  an  exquisite  grace,  and  uniform  good  sense  and  taste  informed 
and  gave  permanent  interest  to  every  thing  he  wrote.    No  man  ever  pos 
sessed  in  a  greater  degree  the  gift  of  putting  an  argument  into  an  anec 
dote."    His  style  was  largely  modeled  upon  the  three  books  with  which 
he  was  most  familiar  in  his  early  life— Addison's  "Spectator,"  Bunyan's 
"  Pilgrim's  Progress,"  and  Locke's  "  Essay  on  the  Understanding."    When 
Franklin  was  on  his  way  from  Boston  to  Philadelphia,  in  1724,  the  ship- 
captain  reported  at  New  York  that  his  passenger  had  "  a  trunk  full  of 
books."    This  was  such  an  unusual  occurrence  for  the  times  that  Gov 
ernor  Burnet  requested  an  interview  with  the  lad  who  was  possessed  of 
such  an  evident  literary  turn.    He  received  him  with  great  cordiality,  and 
manifested  a  warm  interest  in  the  intelligent  printer. 

When  Whitefield  visited  America  in  1740,  Franklin  went  to  hear  one  of 
his  sermons  in  Philadelphia.  Although  he  did  not  approve  of  the  great 
divine's  Orphan  House  scheme  in  Georgia,  he  was  so  moved  by  the 
preacher's  eloquence  of  appeal  that  first  he  gave  what  copper  coins  he  had 
in  his  pocket,  then  added  a  few  silver  pieces,  and  finally  could  not  resist 
giving  all  the  gold  he  had  about  his  person. 

During  his  long  public  career,  Benjamin  Franklin  accepted  very  meager 
compensation  for  his  services.  He  drew  principally  upon  his  private 
fortune  for  expenses.  To  show  his  faith  in  the  value  of  the  continental 
loan  he  invested  $15,000  in  itssecurities.  When  president  of  the  Common 
wealth  of  Pennsylvania  he  devoted  his  entire  salary  to  charities.  Frank 
lin  was  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  one  of  the 
framers  of  the  United  States  Constitution.  Twenty  thousand  Americans 
attended  his  funeral  in  1790. 

5.  Captain  Kidd  has  come  to  be  regarded  as  the  ideal  pirate,— a  man 
devoid  of  all  feeling,  a  buccaneer  of  the  high  seas ;  but  he  probably  was 
not  so  bad  as  he  is  generally  reputed.    It  is  known  that  he  was  more  mer 
ciful  than  most  of  the  privateers  of  his  time.    When  Kidd  set  out  under 
Admiralty  orders  to  suppress  piracy.  King  William  was  to  receive  one 
tenth  of  the  profits  of  the  cruise,  and  Governor  Bellomont  of  New  York 
eight  tenths,  leaving    but   one  tenth   for   himself.     This   arrangement 
proved  so  unprofitable  to  the  captain  that  he  sailed  for  the  coasts  of 
Africa  and  Asia,  and  commenced  privateering  on  his  own  account.    In 
1699  he  boldly  returned  to  American  waters,  and  sailed  into  Long  Island 
Sound,  Delaware  Bay,  and  several  bays  along  the  New  England  coast. 
Seventy  thousand  dollars  worth  of  treasure  which  he  buried  on  Gar- 


120  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


diner's  Island,  was  recovered  by  Bellomont.  Traditions  are  numerous 
that  Captain  Kidd  also  buried  rich  treasure  at  Block  Island,  Monhegan, 
and  several  other  points  on  the  American  coast,  but  diligent  search  has 
failed  to  find  any  of  it.  Kidd's  boldness  is  illustrated  by  his  appearance 
in  the  streets  of  Boston  when  he  knew  a  large  reward  was  offered  for  his 
arrest.  Within  a  week  he  was  seized  and  sent  to  jail.  He  was  taken  to 
London,  where  his  trial  and  execution  occurred  A.  D.  1701. 


ENGLISH  SOVEREIGNS  DURING  THE  SECOND  COLONIAL  PERIOD. 

WILLIAM  III.,  A.  D.  1689-1702,  and  MARY  II.,  1689-1694,  called 
by  Whigs  to  the  throne,  gladly  proclaimed  by  colonies  (§§140,  I43> 
144);  charter  William  and  Mary  College  (§201). 

ANNE,  A.  D.  1702-1714,  takes  contract  for  supplying  Spanish  West 
Indies  with  African  slaves  (§  148) ;  sends  Lord  Cornbury  to  govern  New 
York  (§214). 

GEORGE  I.,  A.  D.  1714-1727,  Elector  of  Hanover,  in  Germany. 

GEORGE  II.,  A.  D.  1727-1760,  grants  Georgia  to  Oglethorpe  as 
asylum  for  the  unfortunate  (§150);  has  part  in  the  War  of  Austrian 
Succession,  known  in  America  by  his  name  (§175)- 

GEORGE  III.,  A.  D.  1760-1820,  of  despotic  temper,  but  loyally  re 
garded  by  Americans  (§219).  See  also  §§231,  235,  244,  251. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW.  — PART  II. 


1.  What  were  the  causes  and  results  of  the  English 

Revolution  of  1688? 

2.  Describe  the  Witchcraft  delusion? 

3.  Describe  the  policy  of  Parliament  toward  the  colo 

nies. 

4.  State  the  literary   progress  of  the  colonies  about 

the  time  of  Queen  Anne's  accession. 

5.  Describe  the  founding  of  Georgia. 

6.  Sketch   the   course   of    French  discoveries  in   the 

Mississippi  Valley. 

7.  Sketch  the  course  of  colonization  on  the  Gulf. 

8.  Name  the  chief  French  military  stations. 

9.  Name    the    four   wars   between    the    English   and 

French  colonies,  giving  their  dates. 

10.  Describe    King   William's  War  in   America,    and 

state  its  results. 

11.  Describe  Queen  Anne's  War. 

12.  What   were    the    chief   events   of   King  George's 

War? 

13.  Give   the   preliminary   events  of   the  French  and 

Indian  War. 

14.  Name  the  chief  events  in  the  French  and  Indian 

War. 

15.  What  territories  were  acquired  by  England,  and 

what  by  Spain? 

1 6.  Describe  the  conspiracy  of  Pontiac. 

17.  Name  some  of  the  first  books  written  in  Virginia. 

18.  Name  some  of  the  most  distinguished  clergymen 

in  New  England. 

19.  What   can    you    tell    of    Governor    Bradford    and 

other  distinguished  colonists? 

20.  Who  founded  Yale  College? 

21.  What  was  the  origin  of   the  College  of  William 

and  Mary? 


Section. 

I40,    143,    144 
141,    142 

145-148 
149 

i5°-I54 

155-159 

160-164 

165 

167 

1 66,  1 68,  169 
170-173 

174,  175 
176-173 

179-192 

193 
194 

i95-!97 
198 
199 

200 


201 


(121) 


122  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Section 

22.  Name  the  first  seven  colleges  in  America.  87,  200,  201 

23.  What  can  you  tell  of  Jonathan  Edwards  ?  202 

24.  Describe    the    character    and    public    services   of 

Franklin.  203-206 

25.  What  is  said  of  John  Bartram?  206 

26.  What  can  you  tell  of  other  colonial  writers?  207,  208 

27.  Describe   the  customary  dress,   manners,  and  em 

ployments  in  the  colonies.  209-212 

28.  What  restrictions  and  interruptions  to  commerce  ?  128,  147,213 

29.  What  is  said  of  the  royal  officials?  214 


PART  III.— WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

CAUSES   OF   THE   REVOLUTION. 

215.  French  Predictions.— "We  have  caught  them  at 
last,"  said  the  French  prime  minister,1  as  he  signed  the  ces 
sion  of  nearly  half  of  North  America  to  the  English  (§193). 
"I  am  persuaded,"  said  another  French  nobleman,  when  he 
heard  of  the  act,  "that  England  will  soon  repent  of  having 
removed  the  only  check  that  could  keep  her  colonies  in  awe. 
They  stand  no  longer  in  need  of  her  protection;  she  will 
call  upon  them  to  contribute  toward  supporting  the  burdens 
they  have  helped  to  bring  upon  her,  and  they  will  answer 
by  striking  off  all  dependence." 

216.  Taxing   the    Colonies,— These   predictions  were 
fulfilled.      The    English   public   debt    was   doubled   by    the 
Seven  Years'  War  (§179),  and  a  plan  was  revived  for  taxing 
the  colonies  with  a  share  of   the  expense.     Now  it  was  a 
part   of   the   British    constitution   that   the    "power   of    the 
purse"  belonged  to  the  people;    f.  <?.,  that  taxes  could  be 
levied  only  by  the  representatives  of  the  whole  nation ;  and 
violation  of  this  rule  had  cost  one  king  his  head  (§126). 

217.  The  colonists  insisted  upon  their  privilege  as  English 
men,— that  as  they  were  not  represented  in  the  British  Par 
liament,  they  could  not  be  taxed  by  it,  but  only  by  their 
own   assemblies,    which   were   to   them   precisely   what  the 
House  of  Commons  was  to   their  countrymen  at  home;— 
and  some  of  the  best  and  wisest  men  in  England  declared 
that  they  were  right. 


I24 


HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


2 1 8.   Though  hard  things  must  be  said  of  the  British  gov 
ernment  as   it   was   then   administered,    we   ought  never  to 

forget  that  our  fathers  had 
the  spirit  and  ability  to  re 
pel  English  injustice  pre 
cisely  because  they  had 
been  trained  to  the  rights 
and  duties  of  Englishmen. 
They  hoped  at  first  that 
the  French  colonists  on 
the  St.  Lawrence,  so  few 
years  subject  to  the  hu 
miliating  yoke  of  En 
gland,  would  join  them 
in  seeking  independence. 
But  under  French  rule 
there  had  been  no  town- 
meetings,  no  colonial  as 
semblies;  and  the  people 

lacked  the  power  to   combine  even  against  a  government 
which  they  detested. 

219.  George  III. — The  throne  of  Great  Britain  was  now 
occupied  by   George   III.,   a  narrow-minded  and  obstinate 
young  king,  who   had   succeeded  his  grandfather  in   1760. 
He  hated  Pitt,2  the  friend  of  America;  and  his  ruling  pur 
pose   was   to   exalt    kingly   authority   at    the   expense   of  all 
popular  rights.     Yet   Harvard  College  celebrated  his  acces 
sion  by  a  volume  of  loyal  poems  in  Latin,  Greek,  and  En 
glish,  promising  so  to  train  her  sons   "that  they  may  be  in 
their  future  stations  grateful  as  well  as  useful  subjects  to  the 
best  of  kings."     Harvard  soon   saw  reason   to   change   her 
mind. 

220.  The    Stamp    Act. — In   1765   the  famous  "Stamp 
Act "  was  made  a  law.     All  legal  documents  were  to  bear  a 
government  stamp,   costing  from  three-pence  to  thirty  dol- 


George  III. 


PARLIAMENTARY  TAXES. 


I25 


lars,  according  to  the  importance  of  the  transaction :  every 
newspaper  and  pamphlet  must  be  stamped,  and  every  ad 
vertisement  must  pay  a  tax.  The  day  appointed  for  the 
Stamp  Act  to  go  into  execution  was  observed  by  the  colo 
nies  as  a  day  of  mourning.  Bells  tolled,  flags  were  low 
ered,  and  business  was  suspended. 

221.  Declaration  of  Rights. — In  the  Virginia   House 
of  Burgesses  Patrick  Henry  carried  resolutions  declaring  that 
the  right   to  tax  the  colonies   rested  solely  with  the  repre 
sentatives  of  the  colonists,   *  *  and  that  every  attempt  to  vest 
such  power  in  any  person  or  persons  whatsoever,  other  than 
the  General  Assembly  aforesaid,  has  a  manifest  tendency  to 
destroy  British  as  well  as  American   freedom."     Delegates 
from  nine  colonies  met  at  New  York  in  October,  1765,  and 
prepared   a   Declaration   of   Rights    with    remonstrances    to 
king  and  Parliament. 

222.  The  Stamp  Act  was  repealed  a  year  after  its 
passage,  but  new  taxes  were  imposed  on  tea,  glass,  paper, 
and  painters'  materials.     The  govern 
ment  was  authorized  to  send  soldiers 

to  America,  and  the  colonists  were  re 
quired  to  house  and  feed  them.  Bos 
ton,  which  was  regarded  as  a  "hot 
bed  of  revolt,"  received  two  British 
regiments.  Frequent  collisions  took 
place,  in  one  of  which  several  citizens 
were  killed.3  The  soldiers  who  had 
fired  on  the  mob  were  tried  for  mur 
der  in  the  colonial  court,  but  they 
had  a  fair  hearing,  their  case  being  defended  by  some  of  the 
best  lawyers  in  the  colony.  All  but  two  were  acquitted  on 
the  ground  that  they  had  fired  in  self-defense,  and  the  two 
were  only  branded  on  the  hand. 

223.  In    North   Carolina   the   general   discontent  was 


Stamp. 


126 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


aggravated  by  the  miscon 
duct  of  the  royal  governor 
and  his  officials,  who  shame 
lessly  plundered  the  people. 
The  "Regulators," — colo 
nial  volunteers  who  attempt 
ed  to  put  down  these  extor 
tions, — were  defeated  by 
Governor  Tryon  with  a 
British  force,  and  many 
were  slain,  while  their  es 
tates  went  to  enrich  the  gov 
ernor.  Disgusted  with  his 


Burning  of  the  Gaspee. 

tyranny,  many  of  the  planters  left  the  settled  limits  of  the 
colony,  bought  lands  of  the  Cherokees  to  the  westward,  and 
laid  the  foundations  of  what  is  now  the  state  of  Tennessee,* 
A.  D.  1772. 


RESISTANCE  TO  REVENUE  LAWS.  127 

224.  The  old  restrictions  upon  colonial  industry  were 
in  full  force.     Iron,  which  abounded  in  Pennsylvania,  could 
neither  be  sent  to  England  nor  be  manufactured  at  home. 
The  rich  pine  forests  of  the  southern  states  were  rendered 
almost  useless  by  act  of  Parliament,  for  neither  tar  nor  tur 
pentine  nor  staves  could  be  made,   nor  could  any  tree  be 
cut   down   without    the    king's    permission.     Foreign   goods 
could  be  bought  only  of  English  merchants,  and  were  loaded 
with  duties  for  the  enriching  of  the  mother-country.      The 
natural    sense   of   the    people    rebelled    against    such    laws. 

225.  Rhode  Island  and  the  Revenue  Laws. — Rhode 
Island,  with  its  bays  and  inlets,  was  well  suited  to  the  smug 
gling  trade;   and,  moreover,   it  was  the  only  colony  whose 
governor  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution  was  chosen  by  its 
own  people.     All  other  governors  were  appointed  by  the 
king.     A  governor   had  the  right  to  grant   flags   of  truce; 
and,  during  the  French  and  Indian  War,  Newport  merchants 
had  availed  themselves  of  these  flags,  not  only  as  privateers 
but   as   smugglers.     To  stop  this  illegal  traffic,    the  British 
schooner  Gaspee  was  ordered,  in  1772,  to  lie  at  the  entrance 
of  Narragansett  Bay,   and  question  every  craft  that  floated 
in  or  out,   from  tiny  market-boats  to  great    East   Indiamen. 

226.  Burning  of  the   Gaspee. — Having  run  aground 
by  accident,  the   Gaspee  was   boarded  in  her  turn  by  eight 
boat-loads    of   citizens    from    Providence;    her    officers    and 
crew  were  bound  and  taken  on  shore,  and  the  schooner  was 
burnt.     Though  a  reward  of  $5,000  was  offered  for  the  de 
tection  of  any  of  the  citizens  concerned  in  the  affair,   and 
though  almost  every   child   in   Providence  knew    the   open 
secret,  not  a  name  was  ever  reported  to  the  king's  commis 
sioners,  and  the  inquiry  was  dropped. 

227.  Taxes  on  Tea. — Surprised  at  the  firmness  of  the 
colonists,  Parliament,  in   1773,  repealed  all  taxes  excepting 
that  of  three-pence   a  pound   upon   tea,    and   so   arranged 


128  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

matters  with  the  East  India  Company  that  this  article  could 
be  sold  cheaper  in  America  than  in  England.  But  the  col 
onists  were  contending  for  principles,  not  pence.  New 
York  and  Philadelphia  sent  the  tea-ships  home  with  all  their 
cargoes  on  board.  Boston,  being  held  by  British  troops, 
could  not  do  this;  but  after  a  great  meeting  in  Faneuil 
Hall,5  a  party  of  men  disguised  as  Indians  boarded  the  ves 
sels  and  threw  all  the  tea  into  the  harbor. 

228.  The    "Boston    Tea    Party"    occasioned   great 
wrath  in  England.     The  port  of  Boston  was  closed  by  act 
of  Parliament,  and  great  distress  fell  upon  the  laborers  who 
were  thus  deprived  of  employment.     Instead  of  profiting  by 
their  neighbor's  loss,    Salem  and   Marblehead  offered   their 
wharves  for  the  use  of  the  Boston  merchants.     Tokens  of 
sympathy   poured    in    from    all    the   colonies:    even   far-off 
Georgia  and  South  Carolina  sent  money  and  cargoes  of  rice 
to  relieve  the  suffering  poor  in  the  northern  city. 

229.  The   House   of   Burgesses   in   Virginia  appointed  a 
solemn  fast  on  the  day  when  the  "Boston  Port   Bill"  was 
to  go  into  effect.     The   governor   thereupon   dissolved   the 
assembly,  but  its  members  only  adjourned  to  another  build 
ing  and  unanimously  voted  that  the  attack  upon  Massachu 
setts  threatened  ruin  to  all  the  colonies  alike,  and  demanded 
measures  for  united  resistance.     In  England  Mr.  Pitt,  now 
the  Earl  of   Chatham,   urged  Parliament  to  desist  from  the 
cruel  injustice  of  oppressing  three  millions  of  people  for  the 
act  of  thirty  or  forty. 

230.  First   Continental    Congress. — The   "Sons  of 
Liberty,"  who  had  organized  themselves  in  each  of  the  col 
onies,  now  sought  a  closer  union.     In  September,   1774,  the 
First  Continental  Congress  met  at  Philadelphia.     Fifty-three 
of  the  best  and  ablest  men  in  the  country  were  there;  men 
deeply  versed  in  English  law,  and  who  knew  well  that  king 
and   Parliament  were  violating  the  constitution  which   they 


OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY 


MAP  OF 

CONCHIES 

during  the 

^_         .  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR. 

Port  R  .yal  a^-  '°n        By  Hussell  Hinman  C.E. 

50  100  150  Miles         2.V 


MAP  ,QF 

BOSTON  ,„, 
^EDV^rons.^^i 


FIRST  AMERICAN-  CONGRESS. 


129 


were  sworn  to  maintain.  Awed  by  a  feeling  of  the  tremen 
dous  results  which  depended  upon  their  conduct,  a  long  and 
deep  silence  fell  on  all  the  members  of  the  Assembly.  It 
was  broken  by  Patrick  Henry*  of  Virginia, — the  greatest 
orator  of  his  day,  and  per 
haps  the  greatest  that  Amer 
ica  has  yet  produced, — who 
recited  the  wrongs  of  the 
colonies  with  magnificent 
eloquence,  and  yet  with 
strict  adherence  to  the  truth. 


Patrick  Henry. 


231.  A  petition  to  the 

king  and  separate  addresses 
to  the  people  of  Great  Britain 
and  of  Canada  were  voted. 
While  expressing  unshaken 
loyalty  and  affection  to  the 
king,  Congress  protested 
against  the  keeping  of  arm 
ies  in  America  without  the 
consent  of  the  people,  and  resolved  to  hold  no  commercial 
intercourse  with  England  until  a  different  policy  should  be 
adopted. 

Companies  of  "minute-men""*  were  now  formed  and  drilled 
in  all  the  towns.  In  the  midst  of  their  preparations  came 
news  that  the  British  were  cannonading  Boston.  In  two 
days  30,000  volunteers  were  on  the  march  for  that  city. 

232.  The  Battle  of  Lexington. — On  the  evening  of 
April    1 8th,    1775,   General   Gage,    commanding   at   Boston, 
sent    800   men    to    destroy   some   military    stores   which   the 
Americans  had  collected  at  Concord.     The  movement  was 
signaled    by    a    beacon-light    hung    in    the    North    Church 
tower,    and    all   night   long    the    farmers   were   gathering   to 
oppose   it.8     At   dawn    the    British,    arriving   at   Lexington, 

u.  s.-n.-f). 


1 3o  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

found  a  company  of  minute-men  drawn  up  to  receive  them, 
and  here  the  first  blood  was  shed  in  the  War  of  American 
Independence. 

233.  The  British  pressed  on  and  destroyed  the  stores  at 
Concord;  but  by  this  time  the  whole  country9  was  under 
arms,  and  on  their  return  they  were  so  hard  pressed  by  the 
colonists  that  their  retreat  became  a  flight,  and  all  would, 
perhaps,  have  been  killed  or  captured  had  not  fresh  troops 
with  cannon  come  out  from  Boston  to  aid  and  protect  them. 

The  news  spread  far  and  wide  through  the  colonies.  Is 
rael  Putnam10  was  plowing  on  hisYarm,  in  Connecticut,  sixty- 
eight  miles  away,  when  a  mounted  messenger  drew  rein 
beside  his  field,  and  shouted  to  him  that  war  was  actually 
begun.  Leaving  his  plow  in  the  furrow,  and  his  oxen  free, 
the  farmer  sprang  to  horse  and  never  stopped  until  he  reached 
the  camp  in  Cambridge,  the  same  day.  Other  recruits  were 
moved  by  the  same  spirit,  and  before  long  General  Gage  was 
besieged  in  Boston  by  20,000  men.11 

Point  out  on  Map  No.  4,  Narragansett  Bay.  Providence.  Boston. 
Salem.  Concord.  Lexington. 

Read  Wirt's  "Life  of  Patrick  Henry;"  Parton's  "Life  of  Jeffer 
son;"  Jesse's  "Life  of  George  III.;"  Greene's  "Historical  View  of 
the  American  Revolution;"  Lossing's  "Field-Book  of  the  American 
Revolution." 

NOTES. 

1.  This  was  Choiseul.    The  other  French  nobleman  was  Vergennes,  the 
French  embassador  to  Constantinople,  a  man  noted  for  his  calm,  equable 
temperament. 

2.  William  Pitt  (6. 1708,  d.  1778)  first  Earl  of  Chatham,  was  America's 
warmest  champion  in  England  during  the  troubles  that  led  to  the  Revo 
lution.    He  had  the  reputation  of  being  "  one  of  the  most  powerful,  vigi 
lant,  and   patriotic  opponents  in   Parliament  of   unconstitutional   and 
unwise  measures."    He  opposed  the  stamp  act  of  1766,  and  from  1775  to 
1777  his  voice  rang  warning  and  prophecy  to  the  British  ministry  in  their 
oppression  of  the  colonies.    In  1778  he  rose  from  a  sick-bed  to  speak  in  the 
House  of  Lords  against  a  motion  to  acknowledge  the  independence  of 
America.    At  the  close  of  his  speech,  he  fell  in  an  apoplectic  fit  from 
which  he  never  recovered. 

3.  This  affair  is  known  as  the  "  Boston  Massacre  :"  it  grew  out  of  a  fight 
between  a  soldier  and   a  laborer  in  a  rope-walk.      The  soldier   being 


NOTES.  131 


whipped,  brought  other  soldiers,  who  were  again  and  again  beaten  off  by 
the  laborers.  The  following  night,  March  5th,  1770,  the  soldiers,  infuriated 
by  talking  the  affair  over  amongst  themselves,  rushed  about  the  streets 
insulting  and  striking  unoffending  citizens.  An  angry  mob  gathered, 
and  six  soldiers  under  an  officer  charged  through  the  crowd.  A  soldier 
was  struck,  and  the  order  to  fire  was  given.  Three  persons  were  killed 
outright,  and  eight  were  wounded,  two  of  them  mortally.  "  Of  all  the 
eleven,  not  more  than  one  had  had  any  share  in  the  disturbance."  The 
shedding  of  innocent  blood  caused  the  wildest  excitement,  not  only  in 
Boston,  but  throughout  the  country,  and  Governor  Hutchinson  was  com 
pelled  to  remove  the  soldiers  from  their  quarters  in  the  city. 

4.  The  most  prominent  among  these  settlers  was  James  Robertson,  who 
two  years  before  this  time  had  settled  in  Tennessee.    Bancroft  says  of 
him  :  "  This  year  [1770],  James  Robertson,  from  the  home  of  the  Regulators 
in  North  Carolina,  a  poor  and  unlettered  forester,  of  humble  birth  but  of 
inborn  nobleness  of  soul,  cultivated  maize  on  the  Wautauga.    The  frame 
of  the  heroic  planter  was  robust,  his  constitution  hardy ;  he  trod  the  soil 
as  if  he  were  its  rightful  lord.    Intrepid,  loving  virtue  for  its  own  sake, 
and  emulous  of  honorable  fame,  he  had  self-possession,  quickness  of  dis 
cernment,  and  a  sound  judgment.     Wherever  he  was  thrown,  on  what 
ever  he  was  engaged,  he  knew  how  to  use  all  the  means  within  his  reach, 
whether  small  or  great,  to  their  proper  end,  seeing  at  a  glance  their  latent 
capacities,  and   devising  the   simplest  and  surest   way  to  bring  them 
forth ;  and  so  he  became  the  greatest  benefactor  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Tennessee." 

5.  Faneuil  Hall  was  built  in  1740,  and  was  a  gift  to  the  town  of  Boston 
from  Peter  Faneuil.    The  latter  was  a  Boston  merchant,  born  at  New 
Rochelle,  New  York,  of  a  French  Huguenot  family.    The  lower  floor  of 
the  hall  was  a  market-house ;  above  that  was  a  town-hall,  with  other 
rooms  attached.      This  hall  was  a  great  place  of  rendezvous   for  the 
patriots  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution,  and  came  to  be  known  as 
"  The  Cradle  of  Liberty." 

6.  Patrick  Henry  (&.  1736,  d.  1799)  was  a  man  of  limited  education,  and 
in  early  years  displayed  few  indications  of  his  future  greatness.    He  was 
exceedingly  fond  of  fishing  and  hunting,  and  of  social  pleasures,  all  of 
which  were  allowed  to  interfere  with  his  duties.    He  married  at  eighteen, 
failed  twice  in  business,  once  in  an  attempt  at  farming,  and  finally,  when 
twenty -four  years  of  age,  entered  the  profession  of  law  after  six  weeks 
study  of  the  subject.    Of  course  he  was  ignorant  of  the  simplest  details  of 
the  profession  he  had  undertaken,  but  his  wonderful  gift  of  oratory  stood 
him  in  good  stead,  and  after  the  first  trial  in  which  he  appeared,  at  the 
age  of  twenty -seven,  he  never  lacked  for  business,  although  he  was  never 
considered  remarkable  as  a  lawyer. 

Henry  was  a  man  of  high  moral  courage,  and  the  instinctive  champion 
of  the  wronged  and  the  oppressed.  The  opening  scenes  of  the  Revolution 
fired  his  patriotic  soul ;  evidently  the  time  and  purpose  for  which  he  had 
been  born  had  arrived.  His  speech  before  the  Virginia  House  of  Bur 
gesses  (g  221)  electrified  the  country,  and  gained  him  the  reputation,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-nine,  of  being  "  the  greatest  orator  and  political  thinker 
of  a  land  abounding  with  public  speakers  and  statesmen."  From  this 
time  forth  he  was  prominent  in  the  political  conventions  and  congresses 
of  the  colonies,  and,  in  1776,  he  was  elected  the  first  republican  governor 
of  the  state  of  Virginia.  He  held  this  office  until  1779,  when,  being  no 
longer  eligible,  he  returned  to  the  legislature.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he 
was  again  chosen  governor,  and  served  until  1786,  when  he  resigned.  In 
1794  he  retired  from  the  law,  and  removed  to  his  estate.  After  this  he  de 
clined  several  honorable  positions  in  public  life,  but  was  finally  persuaded 
by  Washington  and  others  to  become  a  candidate  for  the  Virginia  senate, 
in  1799,  in  order  to  oppose  certain  measures  there.  He  was  easily  elected, 
but  death  interposed  before  he  could  take  his  seat. 

7.  The  minute-men  were  so  called  from  the  terms  of  their  enlistment. 
They  were  to  serve  whenever  called  upon,  and  at  a  moment's  notice. 

8.  This  was  the  occasion  of  "  Paul  Revere's  Ride,"  made  celebrated  by 
Longfellow's  poem.    As  soon  as  Warren,  an  American  patriot  in  Boston, 
discovered  Gage's  plan,  he  dispatched  William  Dawes  through  Roxbury, 


132  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


and  Revere  by  way  of  Charlestown,  to  spread  the  alarm.  Revere  had  the 
beacon-lights  hung  in  the  North  Church  tower,  as  stated,  and  then  with 
muffled  oars  rowed  over  to  Charlestown  only  five  minutes  before  the 
sentinels  received  orders  to  allow  no  one  to  pass.  At  Charlestown  Neck 
he  was  stopped  by  two  British  officers,  but  escaped  them  through  the 
speed  of  his  horse,  and  proceeded  on  his  way  to  Lexington  and  Concord, 
rousing  each  household  as  he  passed. 

"  A  hurry  of  hoofs  in  a  village  street, 

A   shape   in   the   moonlight,  a  bulk  in  the  dark, 

And  beneath,  from  the  pebbles,  in  passing,  a  spark 
Struck  out  by  a  steed  flying  fearless  and  fleet  : 

That  was  all  !    And  yet,  through  the  gloom  and  the  light, 

The  fate  of  a  nation  was  riding  that  night ;  . 

And  the  spark  struck  out  by  that  steed,  in  its  flight, 
Kindled  the  land  into  flame  with  its  heat." 

9.  "  The  Americans  who  joined  in  the  pursuit,  which  began  at  the  old 
North  bridge  in  Concord,  came  from  Acton,  Bedford,  Billerica,  Brookline, 
Beverly,  Concord,  Carlisle,  Chelmsford,  Cambridge,  Charlestown,  Danvers, 
Dedham,  Dorchester,  Framingham,  Lexington,  Lincoln,  Lynn,  Littleton, 
Medford,  Milton,  Need  ham,  Newton,  Pepperell,  Roxbury,  Reading,  Sud- 
bury,  Stowe,  Salem,  Woburn,  Watertown,  and  Westford.      Thirty-one 
towns !    Such  is  the  distinguished  roll  of  honor  represented  in  the  open 
ing  fight  of  the  Revolution."— Austin's  '•'•History  of  Massachusetts." 

Fatal  collisions  between  the  colonists  and  the  British  had  indeed  oc 
curred  in  the  streets  of  New  York  and  Boston,  and  in  North  Carolina 
(§g  222,  223).  But  these  had  more  or  less  of  a  local  character,  while  the 
armed  resistance  to  a  regular  British  army  at  Lexington  was  distinctly  a 
battle  for  American  independence. 

10.  Israel  Putnam  was  born  at  Salem,  Mass.,  in  1718.    Like  many 
other  heroes  of  the  Revolution,  he  won  his  first  laurels  in  the  wars  be 
tween  the  French  and  English  colonies  which  so  severely  tried  the  spirit 
of  American  volunteers.    In  the  French  and  Indian  War  he  was  cap 
tured  by  the  Indians,  and  was  bound  to  a  tree,  surrounded  by  blazing 
fagots  for  the  death-torture  [See  §29,  p.  21.].    Doubtless  he  would  have 
endured  the  flames  as  steadily  as  any  savage  of  them  all ;  but  a  French 
officer,  admiring  his  fortitude,  broke  through  the  circle  and  rescued  him 
for  a  better  fate. 

He  was  the  first  to  receive  the  rank  of  major-general  in  the  Revolution 
ary  army,  and  had  part  in  several  important  battles,  notably  those  of 
Bunker  Hill  and  Long  Island.  While  commanding  in  the  Highlands  of 
the  Hudson,  in  1777,  he  received  a  note  from  the  British  General  Clinton, 
demanding  the  release  of  a  tory  lieutenant  who  was  in  the  American 
camp.  Putnam's  reply  was  characteristic: 

"Edmund  Palmer,  an  officer  in  the  enemy's  service,  was  taken  as  a 
spy  lurking  within  our  lines ;  he  has  been  tried  as  a  spy,  condemned  as  a 
spy,  and  shall  be  executed  as  a  spy,  and  the  flag  is  ordered  to  depart 
immediately.  Israel  Putnam. 

"  P.  S.    He  has  been  accordingly  executed." 

Putnam's  impulsive  and  reckless  bravery  fitted  him  better  for  bold  and 
startling  movements  than  for  the  careful  combinations  of  a  great  cam 
paign.  Still  he  was  one  of  the  great  leaders  in  the  War  for  Independence. 
His  tombstone  at  Brooklyn,  Ct.,  bears  the  appropriate  words:  "  He  dared 
to  lead  where  any  dared  to  follow." 

11.  General  Gage  was  not  only  military  commandant  at  Boston,  but 
civil  governor  of  Massachusetts.    His  instructions  from  the  king  required 
him  to  seize  and  condignly  punish  Samuel  Adams,  John  Hancock,  Joseph 
Warren,  and  other  leading  patriots,  "  but  he  stood  in  such  dread  of  them 
that  he  never  so  much  as  attempted  their  arrest."    "  He  had  promised  the 
king  that  with  four  regiments  he  would  play  the  lion,"  but  in  truth  his 
arrogance  and  presumption  far  surpassed  his  practical  abilities,  and  "  he 
inspired  neither  confidence  nor  fear."    It  is  impossible  to  say  how  differ 
ent  might  have  been  the  result  to  the  colonies  if  the  king  had  been  better 
served.    America  has  reason  to  be  thankful  that  her  courage  and  re 
sources  were  underrated  at  this  critical  time,  when  even  her  own  best 
men  little  understood  the  gravity  of  the  conflict  that  was  impending. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

OPENING   SCENES   OF   THE   REVOLUTION. 

234.  Second  Continental  Congress. — In  May,  1775, 
the  Second  Continental  Congress  met  at  Philadelphia,  and 
never  had  a  body  of  men  such  tremendous  duties  with  so 
little  power  to  perform  them.     There  was  no  public  treasury, 
and  no  authority  to  create  one;    war  was  already   begun, 
while  there  was  not  a  soldier  nor  an  officer  enlisted  in  the 
name  of  the  whole  country.     Worst  of  all,   Congress  could 
not  bind  the  people  to  any  measure;  but  could  only  advise 
the  thirteen  colonial  governments  what  it  seemed  best  for 
them  to  do. 

235.  No  wonder  that  their  first  steps  were  hesitating  and 
weak.     In  appointing  a  day  of   fasting  and  prayer  for  the 
"restoration   of   the  invaded  rights  of  America,"   they  de 
sired  the  people  to  recognize  ' '  King  George  the  Third  as 
their  rightful   sovereign."     They   took   measures,    however, 
for  organizing  a  * '  continental  army  "  for  seven  months,  and 
appointed   George  Washington,  of  Virginia,   to  be  its  com- 
mander-in-chief;  while  they  sincerely   "  labored  •  for  the  res 
toration  of  harmony   between   the  colonies  and  the   parent 
state."     The  responsibility  of  war  was  thrown  upon   Great 
Britain;  for  the  Americans  only  desired  peace  with  justice, 
and  Washington  wrote  at  this  very  time  that  he  ' '  abhorred 
the  idea  of  independence." 

236.  The  Earl  of   Chatham  declared  in  Parliament  that 
no  body  of  men  ever  surpassed   the  first  American    Con 
gress  in  '  *  solidity  of  reasoning,  force  of  sagacity,   and  wis 
dom  of  conclusion;"  and  to  Franklin  he  remarked,  that  the 
success  of  the  American  cause  was  the  last  hope  of  liberty 


134  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


for  England.  The  debates  in  Parliament  proved  to  the  col 
onists  that  their  contest  was  with  the  king  and  ministry,  not 
with  the  people  of  England.  Several  Englishmen  of  rank 
resigned  their  places  in  the  army  and  government  rather 
than  fight  against  America.  One  of  them,  Lord  Emngham, 
received  the  public  thanks  of  citizens  of  London  for  having 
acted  "  as  a  true  Englishman."  It  was  fortunate,  however, 
that  Lord  Chatham's  plan  of  conciliation  failed.  If  it  had 
succeeded,  England  might  have  kept  her  colonies  on  the 
condition  of  governing  them  justly.  It  was  better  for  her, 
for  them,  and  for  the  world  that  she  should  cease  to  govern 
them  at  all. 

237.  The  communications  with   Canada  were  felt 
to   be    of   great   importance.     In    May,    1775,    the   forts   at 
Ticonderoga   and    Crown    Point   were   surprised    by    Ethan 
Allen l  and  Seth  Warner 2  with  a  handful  of  ' '  Green  Moun 
tain  Boys,"  and  were  surrendered  without  a   shot.     Ticon 
deroga  had   cost   England   an  enormous  amount  of  money 
and  many  lives  (See  p.  104).     It  was  taken  "in  ten  minutes 
by  a  few  undisciplined  volunteers,  without  the  loss  of  life  or 
limb."     In  it  was  an  immense  supply  of  canno-n  and  other 
war  materials. 

238.  Three   British   generals,3  soon  to  become  well 
known  in  America, — Howe,   Clinton,   and  Burgoyne, — now 
arrived    with    heavy    reinforcements    at    Boston.      General 
Ward,4  still  in  command  of  the  Americans,  resolved  to  push 
the  siege  more  closely.     To   this  end  he  ordered  Colonel 
Prescott5    to    fortify    Bunker    Hill.      At    the    last    moment 
Breed's   Hill   was  substituted,   as   a  still   more   commanding 
position,  but  the  battle  which  followed  took  its  name  from 
the  former. 

239.  Battle   of   Bunker   Hill.— During  the  night  fol 
lowing,  June  1 6th,  a  strong  earth-work  was  thrown  up.     As 
soon  as  the  morning  light  revealed  it  to  the  British,  a  can- 


BATTLE  OF  BUNKER  HILL.  135 

nonade  was  opened  from  their  fleet  and  the  opposite  shore, 
and  2,000  men  were  sent  to  storm  the  work.  The  Ameri 
cans,  who  had  only  dropped  the  spade  to  seize  the  musket, 
waited  until  they  could  see  the  whites  of  their  enemies7 
eyes,  then  fired  with  such  deadly  effect  that  the  attacking 
column  broke  and  fell  back  to  the  foot  of  the  hill. 

240.  The    village    of   Charlestown    was   then    fired,    and 
under  cover  of  its  smoke  the  enemy  rallied  and  ascended 
the  hill,  only  to  be  repulsed  as  before.      Fresh  troops  came 
from  Boston,   and  a  third  attack  was  made.     The  spirit  of 
the  defenders  had  not  flagged,  but  their  powder  was  nearly 
spent.     Still  the  front  rank  of  the  assailants  was  again  mown 
down;  and  the  Americans  fought  with  the  butt  ends  of  their 
guns,  until  they  retired  in  good  order  to  Prospect  Hill,  only 
a  mile  in  the  rear.6 

General  Gage  wrote  home,  '  *  The  trials  we  have  had, 
prove  the  rebels  are  not  the  despicable  rabble  too  many 
have  supposed  them  to  be."  He  was  already  superseded  in 
command  by  General  Howe,  brother  of  him  who  had  fallen 
at  Ticonderoga  and  whom  Massachusetts  had  loved  and 
honored  (§187). 

241.  Washington    in    Command. — Among    the    first 
acts  of   royal  governors  when   the  war  broke  out,   was  the 
seizure  of  gunpowder  belonging  to  the  colonies.     The  want 
of  this  necessary  article  had  occasioned  the  loss  of  Breed's 
Hill  and  seriously  crippled  the  movements  of  Washington. 
On  the  3d  of  July  this  great  general  took  command  of  the 
forces  besieging  Boston.     They  could  scarcely  be  called  an 
army :  arms,  uniform,  and  drill  were  lacking ;  each  man  had 
brought  his  own  musket  and  powder-horn,  if  he  happened 
to  possess  them,  and  subsisted  mainly  on  food  which  he  re 
ceived  from  home.     Washington's  first  task  was  to  create  an 
army  out  of  these  raw  recruits,  and  happily  the  inaction  of 
the  British  gave  him  a  few  months  for  the  work. 


136  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

242.  The  Mecklenburg  Resolutions. — Still  very  few 
colonists    dreamed    of    a    separation    from    England.     The 
patriots  of  Mecklenburg   County,    in   North   Carolina,   had, 
however,   advanced  to  a  different  conclusion,   in  which  the 
whole  country  afterwards  joined  them.     In  May,  1775,  they 
met  at  Charlotte,  and  renounced  their  allegiance  to  king  and 
Parliament.      The    "Mecklenburg    Resolutions"    were    the 
prelude  to  the  "Declaration  of  Independence." 

243.  Kentucky   Settled. — During   the   same   year   the 
foundations   were   laid   of   a   new    state   west    of   the   Alle- 
ghanies.     Daniel  Boone,7  the  famous  hunter,  with  Kenton, 
Floyd,  Harrod,  Shelby,   and  others,  having  bought  land  of 
the  Cherokees,   settled   the  rich  meadow-lands  on  the  Ken 
tucky   River.     Free   from   the    first,   they   never  owned  the 
dominion  of  England;  and  they  were  among  the  earliest  in 
America  to  declare  their  independence,  on  a  footing  of  obe 
dience   to   local    law.     Courts,   churches,   and   schools  were 
established;    and  order   and  justice  were   held   as   dear   as 
freedom.     (See  §277.) 

244.  Indians  and  Hessians. — Meanwhile  King  George, 
so  far  from  regarding   the  humble  petition  he  had  received 
from  Congress,   was  sending  emissaries  to  the  Iroquois  and 
Canadian   Indians   to  excite  their  savage  wrath   against  the 
colonies;  and,  as  Englishmen  enough  could  not  be  enlisted, 
was  making  bargains  with  petty  German  princes,  who  sold 
him  the  services  of  their  subjects  at  a  little  less  than  thirty- 
five   dollars   per   head.       "Every   soldier  killed  was   to   be 
paid  for  at  this  rate,  and  three  wounded  were  to  be  reck 
oned  as  one  killed."     Acts  of  Parliament  forbade  any  trade 
with  the  "rebels,"  and  ordered  that  American  vessels  should 
be  seized,  and  their  crews  treated  as  slaves. 

245.  Invasion    of    Canada. — These   violent   measures 
went  far  to  destroy  the  love  of  Americans  for  England,  and 
it  was  seen  that   independence  was  the  only  way  to  honor 


MOVEMENTS  IN  CANADA. 


137 


Quebec. 

and  safety.  The  Canadian  peasantry  wished  well  to  the 
cause  of  separation,  but  the  rich  and  ruling  class  were  con 
tent  with  the  existing  order  of  things.  To  sustain  the  pop 
ular  feeling,  and  prevent  attacks  from  the  north,  a  two-fold 
invasion  of  Canada  was  planned  for  the  autumn  of  1775. 

246.  Siege    of    Quebec. — General    Montgomery,8    de 
scending  Lake  Champlain,   captured   St.   John's  and   Mont 
real.     General   Arnold,9  ascending  the   Kennebec,   made   a 
toilsome  march  through  the  woods  and  marshes  of  northern 
Maine,    and    though    deprived    by    hunger   and   disease   of 
nearly  half  his  men,   undertook   the  siege  of  Quebec,   the 
mightiest   fortress   in   America.     Climbing   by  Wolfe's   path 
(§191)  to  the  Heights  of  Abraham,  he  summoned  the  city 
to  surrender;  but  its  commander  had  learned  wisdom  from 
Montcalm's  disaster,  and  remained  within  his  fort 

247.  Montgomery  soon  arrived  and  took  command.     The 
garrison  numbered  twice  as  many  as  the  combined  army  of 


138  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

assailants,  and  had  strong  walls  and  two  hundred  cannon  to 
oppose  to  the  musketry  and  few  small  siege-guns  from  Mont 
real.  Nevertheless  the  colonists  intrenched  themselves  be 
hind  ramparts  of  ice,  since  the  frozen  ground  defied  their 
pickaxes.  On  the  last  morning  of  1775  the  assault  was 
made.  Montgomery  led  the  advance,  crying  out,  "Men  of 
New  York!  you  will  not  fear  to  follow  where  your  general 
leads ! "  The  attack  was  brave  and  spirited ;  but  Mont 
gomery  fell  dead,  Arnold  was  dangerously  wounded,  and 
the  effort  failed. 

Still  determined,  the  Americans  turned  the  siege  into  a 
blockade,  and  held  out  until  May,  when  they  reluctantly 
retreated,  wasted  by  disease  and  starvation.  The  British 
governor,  pitying  their  sufferings  and  admiring  their  courage, 
offered  to  shelter  and  care  for  their  sick  until  they  were  able 
to  march;  but  the  generous  invitation  was  declined  (See 
§306).  A  great  British  force  arriving  in  the  St.  Lawrence, 
Montreal  and  St.  John's  were  abandoned. 

248.  Deliverance    of   Boston. — Against  innumerable 
difficulties,   Washington  had  persevered  through  the  winter 
in  drilling  and  strengthening  his  army;  and  early  in  March 
he  was  ready  for  a  decisive  stroke.     In  a  single  night  works 
were  erected  on  Dorchester  Heights,  which  forced  General 
Howe  to  evacuate  Boston.     Taking  on  board  the  fleet  not 
only  his  army,  but  eleven  hundred  Americans  who  chose  to 
remain  subjects  of  the  king,   he  sailed  away  to  Halifax,   to 
the  great  joy  and  relief  of  the  Bostonians. 

Washington  knew  that  the  breathing-time  would  be  short. 
New  York  was  of  the  greatest  importance  to  both  parties 
from  its  central  position,  its  easy  communication  with 
Canada,  and  the  strong  Tory10  interest  among  its  people. 
Thither  Washington  soon  marched  to  anticipate  the  arrival 
of  the  British. 

249.  Siege   of  Charleston. — Early  in  June  a  British 
fleet    from   Halifax  appeared  in   Charleston   harbor   bearing 


NOTES.  139 


an  army  commanded  by  General  Clinton.  Major-general 
Lee,11  second  only  to  Washington  among  American  officers, 
had  been  placed  in  charge  of  the  southern  department.  But 
he  cared  more  for  himself  than  for  the  success  of  the  cause, 
and  wrought  more  evil  than  good  to  the  American  service. 
He  pronounced  Charleston  untenable,  and  was  only  anxious 
to  secure  the  retreat  of  the  garrison.  Colonel 
Moultrie12  was  of  a  different  mind.  From  his 
fort  of  palmetto  logs  on  Sullivan's  Island,  he  kept  up  so 
steady  a  cannonade  that  the  fleet,  after  ten  hours'  engage 
ment,  withdrew  shattered  and  disabled,  unfit  even  to  convey 
the  army  to  New  York.13  The  fort  has  ever  since  borne  the 
name  of  its  brave  defender. 

Trace  on  Map  No.  4,  the  two  routes  by  which  the  Americans  invaded 
Canada. 

Read  for  the  whole  Revolutionary  period  Irving's  "  Life  of  Wash 
ington,"  Volumes  II. -IV.  ;  the  Lives  of  Generals  Greene,  Putnam, 
Arnold;  Lossing's  "Field-Book  of  the  Revolution;"  Botta's  "History 
of  the  American  Revolution." 


NOTES. 

1.  Ethan  Allen  (6. 1739,  d.  1789)  was  born  in  Connecticut,  but  removed 
to  Vermont  when  about  twenty -four  years  of  age.    Previous  to  the  Revo 
lution  New  York  and  New  Hampshire  disputed  possession  of  the  territory 
which  now  forms  Vermont,  and  the  New  York  officers  tried  to  enforce 
their  authority  which  the  settlers  resisted.    The  latter  formed  an  organ 
ization  known  as  the  "  Green  Mountain  Boys,"  of  which  Allen  was  the 
colonel.    They  succeeded  in  holding  their  farms,  and  Allen  became  so 
obnoxious  that  Governor  Tryon  of  New  York  offered  £150  reward  for  his 

Just  before  the  attack  on  Ticonderoga,  Benedict  Arnold  (g  292)  appeared, 
and  claimed  command  of  the  forces  through  a  commission  received  from 
Massachusetts.  Allen  would  not  give  way,  however,  and  they  finally 
compromised  by  walking  at  the  head  of  the  column  side  by  side.  Shortly 
after  the  fall  of  Ticonderoga  Allen  made  an  unsuccessful  attack  on  Mont 
real,  and  was  taken  prisoner.  He  was  sent  first  to  England,  and  after 
wards  to  the  prison-ships  at  Halifax  and  New  York.  He  was  heavily 
ironed  and  treated  as  a  common  felon.  Although  rough  in  manner  and 
appearance,  Allen  was  a  man  of  good  intellect.  He  wrote  a  history  of  the 
dispute  in  regard  to  Vermont,  a  narrative  of  his  captivity,  several  polit 
ical  pamphlets,  and  also  a  work  entitled  "  Reason  the  only  Oracle  of 
Man."  He  resided  in  Vermont  until  his  death,  serving  for  some  time  in 
the  legislature. 

2.  Seth  Warner  (6. 1743,  d.  1784)  was  also  prominent  in  the  controversy 
between  New  York  and  Vermont,  and  like  Allen  he  was  outlawed.    In 
the  expeditions  against  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point  he  was  second  in 


140  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


command,  and  personally  conducted  the  attack  on  the  latter  place.  He 
remained  in  the  army,  doing  good  service  until  1782,  when  he  resigned  on 
account  of  ill  health,  and  returned  to  his  native  town  of  Roxbury,  Conn. 

3.  These  generals  were  men  of  experience.    General  William  Howe  had 
command  of  the  light  infantry  under  Wolfe  in  the  attack  on  Quebec  (§  190) ; 
Sir  Henry  Clinton  had  served  in  the  same  war ;  and  General  John  Bur- 
goyne  had  won  distinction  as  a  brigadier-general  in  Portugal.    All  of 
them  were  severely  censured  at  home  for  their  conduct  of  affairs  in 
America.    Burgoyne  and  Clinton  each  wrote  a  narrative  which,  in  a 
measure,  removed  the  feeling  against  them,  and  Howe  was  freed  from 
blame  by  an  investigation  ordered  by  Parliament. 

"  As  they  entered  the  harbor,  they  hailed  a  tender  bound  for  Newport, 
and  asked  the  news.  When  told  that  Boston  was  surrounded  by  ten 
thousand  men  in  arms,  they  asked  how  large  was  the  English  force,  and 
were  told  it  was  five  thousand  men.  '  Ten  thousand  peasants  keep  five 
thousand  king's  troops  shut  up  !  Let  us  get  in,  and  we  '11  soon  find  elbow- 
room.'  The  story  was  circulated  every-where,  and  the  nick-name  '  Elbow- 
room  '  was  applied  to  Burgoyne  all  through  the  war,  never  with  more 
sting,  of  course,  than  at  the  period  of  his  own  reverses." — Bryant. 

4.  After  the  battles  of  Concord  and  Lexington  the  congress  of  Mas 
sachusetts  voted  to  raise  an  army  of  thirteen  thousand  six  hundred  men, 
and  called  upon  the  other  New  England  colonies  to  increase  the  number  to 
thirty  thousand.    In  response  to  this  call  about  sixteen  thousand  men 
assembled  around  Boston.    There  was  no  unity  among  them,  however,  the 
men  from  the  several  colonies  appearing  as  independent  corps  under 
leaders  of  their  own. 

Artemas  "Ward,  as  captain-general  of  the  Massachusetts  forces,  held 
the  leading  position,  but  had  no  commission  as  commander-in-chief. 
Bancroft  says  of  him :  "  He  was  old,  unused  to  a  separate  military  com 
mand,  from  an  infirmity  not  fit  to  appear  on  horseback,  and  wanting  in 
'  quick  decision  and  activity ; '  he  never  could  introduce  discipline  among 
free  men,  who  owned  no  superiority  but  that  of  merit,  no  obedience  but 
that  of  willing  minds."  About  this  time  the  Continental  Congress  made 
him  a  major-general  under  Washington,  but  he  resigned  within  a  month. 

5.  "William  Prescott  (&.  1726,  d.  1795),  born  at  Groton,  Mass.,  had  served 
in  the  attack  against  Nova  Scotia  (§  181)  as  lieutenant  and  captain.    He 
was  made  colonel  of  a  regiment  of  minute-men,  and  marched  at  their 
head  to  Cambridge  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  the  battle  of  Lexington.    He 
had  sole  command  of  the  redoubt  on  Breed's  Hill,  and  by  his  remarkable 
courage  and  self-possession  inspired  the  men  under  him  with  a  similar 
spirit.    He  was  among  the  last  to  quit  the  redoubt,  unwounded,  although 
his  clothes  were  pierced  and  rent  by  the  English  bayonets.    He  remained 
in  the  army  until  the  battle  of  Saratoga,  in  1777,  where  he  served  as  a  vol 
unteer.    He  then  returned  home,  and  in  later  years  was  a  member  of  the 
Massachusetts  legislature. 

6.  In  this  battle  the  English  had  one  thousand  and  fifty -four  killed  and 
wounded.    The  American  loss  was  one  hundred  and  forty-five  killed  and 
missing,  and  three  hundred  and  four  wounded.    Among  the  Americans 
killed  was  General  Warren.    He  was  an  ardent  patriot  and  highly  es 
teemed  as  a  statesman  as  well  as  a  soldier.    He  had  just  been  appointed  a 
major-general  by  the  Continental  Congress,  but  in  this  battle  was  serving 
simply  as  a  volunteer.    He  was  the  last  man  in  the  trenches,  and  fell 
while  endeavoring  to  rally  the  men  about  him. 

7.  Daniel  Boone  (b.  1735,  d.  1820)  was  born  in  Pennsylvania.    When  he 
was  eighteen  years  old,  he  removed  to  North  Carolina.    He  married  and 
passed  some  years  there  as  a  farmer,  but  during  that  time  made  several 
excursions  into  the  wilds  of  Kentucky,  where  he  finally  removed  with 
his  family.    He  was  captured  several  times  by  the  Indians,  but  always 
managed  t°  escape.    Kentucky  filling  rapidly  with  settlers,  Boone  lost 
all  his  land  there  through  neglect  in  making  his  title  good,  and  left  in 
disgust  for  Missouri,  then  under  Spanish  rule.    Here  the  same  thing  hap 
pened  again,  but  in  1812  Congress  confirmed  his  claim  to  another  tract  of 
land  in  return  for  his  valuable  public  services.    Boone  and  his  wife  died 
in  Missouri,  but  in  1845  their  remains  were  transferred  to  the  cemetery 
at  Frankfort,  Ky. 


NOTES. 


8.  Richard  Montgomery  (6.  1736,  d.  1775)  was  born  near  Raphoe,  Ire 
land,  and  entered  the  British  army  at  the  age  of  fifteen.    He  distinguished 
himself  in  America  during  the  "  French  and  Indian  War,"  but,  disap 
pointed  at  not  receiving  a  promotion,  he  sold  his  commission,  and  in  1772 
emigrated  to  New  York.    Here  he  married  a  daughter  of  Robert  R.  Liv 
ingston,  and  in  1773  settled  on  a  farm  at  Rhinebeck,  hoping  to  lead  a 
quiet,  domestic  life.    At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution  he  was  ap 
pointed   brigadier-general.    The  expedition  against   Canada  fell  to  his 
command  owing  to  the  sickness  of  Major-general  Schuyler,  who  was  to 
have  conducted  the  operations.    Montgomery  soon  won  the  love  and 
esteem  of  his  soldiers,  and  distinction  in  the  eyes  of  the  country,  by  his 
energetic  and  daring  management.    He  was  made  a  major-general  a  few 
days  before  his  death.    Congress  honored  him  with  a  monument,  beneath 
which  his  remains  now  lie,  in  front  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  New  York. 

9.  Benedict  Arnold  (&.  1740,  d.  1801)  was  one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
characters  of  the  Revolution.     Bancroft  thus  concisely  describes  him : 
"  In  person  he  was  short  of  stature,  and  of  a  florid  complexion ;  his  broad, 
compact  frame  displayed  a  strong  animal  nature  and  power  of  endur 
ance  ;  he  was  complaisant  and  persuasive  in  his  manners,  desperately 
brave  and  sanguinely  hopeful,  avaricious  and  profuse,  of  restless  activity, 
intelligent  and  enterprising."    He  was  9ne  of  the  first  to  march  to  Cam 
bridge,  but  unfortunately  his  early  patriotism  and  daring  leadership  are 
utterly  overshadowed  by  his  disgraceful  treason.    (See  §§292-295.) 

10.  Tories  were  those  who  believed  in  the  "divine  right"  of  the  king 
to  be  obeyed,  whether  his  commands  were  just  or  not— hence,  in  America, 
those  who  still  considered  themselves  subjects  of  George  III.    Those  who 
in  both  countries  maintained  the  rights  of  the  people  were  called  Whigs 
(1 140).    It  is  supposed  that  twenty-five  thousand  American  Tories  were 
enlisted  in  the  British  armies  during  the  Revolution. 

11.  Charles  Lee  (6. 1731,  d.  1782)  is  said  to  have  held  a  commission  in 
the  British  army  when  but  eleven  years  of  age.    His  first  actual  experi 
ence  in  warfare,  however,  was  at  Braddock's  defeat  (§  180).    At  Ticonder- 
oga,  in  1758,  he  was  severely  wounded,  but  continued  in  service  in  America 
until  1760,  when  he  returned  to  England.    He  distinguished  himself  in 
Spain,  but  failed  in  securing  further  promotion.    In  disgust  he  left  En 
gland,  and  became  "a  soldier  of  fortune,"  serving  in  Germany,  Poland, 
and  Russia.    He  twice  returned  to  England  and  endeavored  to  secure  ad 
vancement  and  active  service.    His  failure  to  do  this  soured  his  disposi 
tion;  he  violently  opposed  the  ministry,  and  indulged  in  newspaper 
attacks  upon  them  full  of  irony  and  sarcasm. 

.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution  he  eagerly  espoused  the  Ameri 
can  cause.  The  Continental  Congress  appointed  him  second  of  five 
major-generals  under  Washington,  much  to  Lee's  disappointment,  who 
had  worked  hard  for  the  position  of  commander-in-chief.  Of  his  conduct 
during  the  war  little  can  be  said  in  praise.  His  bitter  jealousy  and 
intense  selfishness  carried  him  almost  to  the  verge  of  treason  (§257).  At 
the  battle  of  Monmouth  (§272)  he  behaved  so  badly  that  Washington 
ordered  him  to  the  rear;  a  court-martial  followed,  which  found  him 
"  guilty  of  disobedience,  misbehavior  before  the  enemy,  and  disrespect  to 
the  commander-in-chief."  He  was  accordingly  suspended  from  all  com 
mand  for  twelve  months.  Finally  Congress,  provoked  by  an  impertinent 
letter,  dismissed  him  from  service.  He  retired  to  a  plantation,  where  his 
only  companions  were  his  books  and  his  dogs,  of  both  of  which  he  was 
passionately  fond.  The  life  wearied  him,  however,  and  in  1782  he  visited 
Baltimore  and  Philadelphia,  endeavoring  to  sell  his  estate.  At  the  latter 
place  he  was  attacked  by  fever,  and  died  in  a  very  few  days. 

12.  William  Moultrie  (b.  1731,  d.  1805)  was  a  South  Carolinian  by  birth, 
and  when  thirty  years  old  was  made  captain  in  a  militia  regiment  which 
fought  in  the  war  with  the  Cherokees.    He  served  in  the  beginning  of  the 
Revolution  as  colonel,  and  superintended  the  building  of  the  fort  on 
Sullivan's  Island.    He  rose  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  serving  with 
great  distinction  until  his  capture  by  the  British  at  the  surrender  of 
Charleston  in  1780.    While  a  prisoner  he  was  offered  money  and  com 
mand  of  a  British  regiment  at  Jamaica  if  he  would  desert.    His  reply  is 
worthy  of  commemoration :  "  Not  the  fee-simple  of  all  Jamaica  could 
induce  me  to  part  with  my  integrity."    He  was  exchanged  for  Burgoyne 


142  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


after  two  years'  imprisonment;  rose  to  the  rank  of  major-general;  and 
after  the  war  was  twice  elected  governor  of  South  Carolina. 

13.  The  fort  was  built  of  palmetto  logs,  laid  in  two  rows  sixteen  feet 
apart,  and  filled  in  between  the  rows  with  sand.  This  made  a  most 
effective  defense,  as  only  eleven  men  were  killed  and  twenty-six 
wounded  out  of  a  garrison  of  four  hundred  and  thirty-five ;  while  in  the 
ten  vessels  of  the  British  squadron  the  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was 
two  hundred  and  five.  The  British  flag-ship  was  so  badly  shattered  that 
"  but  for  the  stillness  of  the  sea  she  must  have  gone  down ;  "  another 
vessel,  that  had  run  aground,  was  set  fire  to  and  abandoned. 

"  In  the  fort,  William  Jasper,  a  sergeant,  perceived  that  the  flag  had 
been  cut  down  by  a  ball  from  the  enemy,  and  had  fallen  over  the  ram 
parts.  '  Colonel,'  said  he  to  Moultrie,  '  don't  let  us  fight  without  a  flag.' 

'"What  can  you  do?'  asked  Moultrie;  'the  staff  is  broken  off.' 

" '  Then,'  said  Jasper, '  I  '11  fix  it  to  a  halberd,  and  place  it  on  the  merlon 
of  the  bastion  next  the  enemy ; '  and  leaping  through  an  embrasure,  and 
braving  the  thickest  fire  from,  the  ships,  he  took  up  the  flag,  returned 
with  it  safely,  and  planted  it  as  he  had  promised  on  the  summit  of  the 
merlon.  "—Bancroft. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

EVENTS   OF    1776. 


Independence  Hall. 

250.  Separation  from  Great  Britain  could  no  longer 
be  delayed.  In  April,  1776,  Congress  abolished  the  "colo 
nial  system"  by  opening  the  American  ports  to  free  trade 
with  all  the  world  excepting  the  British  dominions.  On  the 
7th  of  June  Richard  Henry  Lee1  offered  a  resolution  in 
Congress,  '  *  that  these  united  colonies  are,  and  of  right 
ought  to  be,  free  and  independent  states."  After  due  de- 

C43) 


144  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

bate  the  resolution  was  adopted,  and  a  Declaration,  written 
by  Thomas  Jefferson,  of  Virginia,  was  published  to  the 
world  on  the  4th  of  July.2  It  recited,  in  firm  and  manly 
terms,  the  acts  of  George  III.  which  had  rendered  the  sep 
aration  necessary,  and  declared  the  United  States  of  America 
''absolved  from  all  allegiance  to  the  British  crowi." 

251.  The  Declaration  of  Independence  was  received 
with  joy  all  over  the  land.  It  was  read  to  every  brigade 
of  Washington's  army  at  New  York;  and  the  soldiers,  with 
out  leave,  pulled  down  the  leaden  statue  of  George  III. 
which  adorned  the  Battery,  and  converted  it  into  bullets  for 
resisting  that  king's  ascendency.  All  the  colonies  now  or 
ganized  themselves  into  sovereign  states.  Many  of  them 
seized  the  opportunity  to  get  rid  of  abuses  which  had  been 
wrought  into  their  governments.  Virginia  put  an  end  to  the 
importation  of  slaves;  to  all  penalties  for  religious  dissent; 
and  to  the  law  of  entail,  which  had  accumulated  great  estates 
in  the  hands,  of  eldest  sons;  and  adopted  a  plan  for  universal 
education  which,  however,  was  long  delayed  in  its  execution 
by  the  poverty  consequent  upon  war. 

.252.  On  the  1 2th  of  July  Lord  Howe3  arrived  in  New 
York  Bay  with  a  powerful  English  fleet.  His  brother,  the 
General,  was  already  encamped  on  Staten  Island  with  30,000 
British  and  German  troops,  all  thoroughly  armed  and  trained 
to  the  highest  degree  of  efficiency;  while  Washington's  re 
cent  recruits  were  scantily  supplied  with  clothing,  with 
weapons,  and  even  with  food.  The  Howes  sincerely  de 
sired  to  restore  peace  without  bloodshed;  and  they  issued  a 
proclamation  offering  ' '  pardon  to  all  rebels  who  would  re 
turn  to  their  allegiance."  Congress  ordered  this  paper  to  be 
printed  and  distributed  among  the  American  people. 

253.  Battle  of  Long  Island. — On  the  26th  of  August 
the  English  General  Clinton  crossed  the  Narrows  and 
marched  northward  to  the  neighborhood  of  Brooklyn.  Two 
of  three  roads  through  the  hills  were  occupied  by  the  Amer- 


~\BRA*y 

Or-  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


LAKE  CHAMPLAI^T 

and 

HUDSON  BIVER. 
By  RussellHinman.C.E. 

q  lo.MU.        g,        „ 


BATTLE  OF  LONG  ISLAND.  145 


ican  generals  Sullivan4  and  Stirling5  with  about  8,000  men. 
Unhappily  the  Jamaica  road  had  been  left  unguarded,  and 
that  was  promptly  seized  by  the  enemy.  There  was  brave 
fighting, — still  commemorated  at  "Battle  Pass;"  but,  sur 
rounded  on  all  sides,  the  Americans  were  forced  at  length 
to  retreat  or  surrender.  General  Stirling  held  out  still  longer 
on  ground  now  within  Greenwood  Cemetery,  and  protected 
the  retreat  of  the  greater  part  of  his  force  at  the  expense  of 
his  own  capture  and  the  death  of  two  hundred  and  fifty-nine 
brave  Marylanders.  The  Americans  lost  in  all  somewhat 
less, than  a  thousand  men,  of  whom  three  fourths,  more  un 
fortunate  than  their  dead  comrades,  were  doomed  to  the 
' '  prison-ships, "  where,  during  the  war,  eleven  thousand  per 
ished  of  fever  and  starvation. 

254.  Washington's    Retreat. — Two    days    after    the 
battle   Washington    drew    off   his   forces   under   cover   of  a 
heavy  fog,   and  crossed  East  River  in  safety.      It  was  now 
impossible  to  hold  New  York,  and  during  September  he  en 
trenched  himself  on   Harlem  Heights.      His  army  was  dis 
heartened,  and  nearly  dissolved  by  desertion;  terms  of  enlist 
ment  were  short,  and  the  work  of  drilling  fresh  recruits  had 
to  be  resumed  continually. 

255.  Howe  took  possession  of  New  York  Septem 
ber  13.     A  fire  followed  his  entrance,  in  which  five  hundred 
houses  were  burnt.     As  Washington  greatly  desired  news  of 
the   enemy's  plans,    Captain   Nathan   Hale,   a  Yale   student 
who  had  quitted  his  college  for  the  colonial  service,  volun 
teered  to  enter  the  British  lines  on  Long  Island  and  obtain 
information.     He  was  recognized  by  one  of   his  own  kins 
men,  who,  being  a  Tory,  betrayed  him  to  the  enemy.     By 
Howe's  order  he  was  tried   and   condemned   to   death  as  a 
spy.     Even  the  common  offices  of  religion  were  denied  him, 
and    his   farewell    letters   were    destroyed.      His   last    words 
were,   ' '  I  only  regret  that  I  have  but  one  life  to  give  to  my 

country." 

u.  H.  H.— 10. 


146  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Attack  on  Rail's  Camp. 

Unable  to  dislodge  Washington  from  Harlem  Heights, 
Howe  resolved  to  reach  his  rear  by  landing  in  Westchester. 
Washington  met  him  at  White  Plains,  October  27th,  and 
suffered  a  partial  defeat,  but  was  able  to  withdraw  in  good 
order  to  North  Castle. 

256.  To  protect  Philadelphia  Washington  now  re 
moved  his  army  to  New  Jersey.  Contrary  to  his  judgment, 
Fort  Washington  was  still  held.  It  was  captured  by  the 
British  and  Hessians,  November  i6th,  after  a  brave  defence, 


WASHINGTON  IN  NEW  JERSEY.  147 

and  2,600  of  our  much-needed  men  went  to  crowd  the 
prison-ships  at  Brooklyn.  Fort  Lee,  on  the  opposite  bank 
of  the  Hudson,  was  soon  afterward  taken,  but  its  garrison 
was  brought  away  in  safety. 

257.  General  Lee,  who  commanded  the  rear  division, 
disobeyed   all  orders  to  rejoin   his  chief,    hoping   by   some 
brilliant   stroke   to  raise   himself   to   the  head  of  the  army. 
Instead,  he  was  taken  prisoner,  and  tried  to  gain  favor  with 
his  captors  by  advising  them  of  the  best  means  to  conquer 
America.     But   Howe   never   trusted   him,    and  gladly   ex 
changed  him  a  few  months   later   for  the   British   General 
Prescott,  who  was  captured  in  Rhode  Island. 

258.  Lord  Cornwallis,6  with  a  large  army,  was  in  rapid 
pursuit  of  Washington.     His  German  troops  robbed  and  in 
sulted  the  people;  and  many,  believing  the  hope  of  freedom 
lost,  accepted  the  royal   "pardon"  for  the  sake  of  security. 
Washington  retreated  across  the  Delaware,  and  so  swept  it 
of  boats  that  the  enemy  could  not  follow  him. 

259.  Battle  of  Trenton. — Colonel   Rail  and  his  Hes 
sians  were  keeping  Christmas  at  Trenton,  when  the  American 
chief  suddenly  recrossed  the  river,  amid  blocks  of  ice,  in  a 
furious  storm,  surprised  and  defeated  Rail,  and  returned  to 
his  camp  with  nearly  a  thousand  prisoners,  having  lost  only 
two  men,  who  were  frozen  to  death.     Rail  himself  was  mor 
tally    wounded.     This    decisive    stroke    revived    hope    and 
courage  in  all  true  hearts.     The  enemy  abandoned  Burling 
ton  and  Bordentown,  and  the  people  tore  down  from  their 
doors  the   "red  rags"    by  which   they   had  claimed  British 
protection. 

260.  Washington    Dictator, —  Congress,    finding   that 
their  general  was  not  slow  and  cautious  except  by  necessity, 
conferred   on   him   extraordinary   powers   for   six  months  to 
raise  and  maintain  a  larger  army.     Washington  returned  to 
Trenton,   where   he  was  soon  hard  pressed .  by   Cornwallis, 


148  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


with  greatly  superior  forces.     Leaving  his  camp-fires  burn 
ing,  he  gave  his  enemy  the  slip,  moved  swiftly  by  night  -to 
Princeton,7  and  defeated  three  British  regiments 
there,   then  hastened  to  the  rugged  heights  of 
Morristown,  where  he  was  safe  from  farther  pursuit. 

261.  Foreign  Aid. — These  brilliant  movements  com 
manded  admiration  in  Europe,  and  secret  or  open  help 
began  to  reach  the  Americans.  The  young  Marquis  de  La 
Fayette8  fitted  out  a  ship  at  his  own  expense,  and  came 
from  France  to  serve  as  a  volunteer  in  the  American  ranks. 
He  was  made  a  major-general,  and  became  the  intimate 
friend  of  Washington.  Kosciusko9  and  Pulaski,10  Poles  of 
high  birth,  who  had  fought  in  vain  for  the  deliverance  of 
their  own  land,  now  offered  themselves  as  ' '  soldiers  of 
liberty,"  and  rendered  good  service  to  our  cause. 

Nevertheless,  some  of  the  darkest  days  were  yet  to  be 
passed  through. 

Trace  upon  Map  No.  5  the  movements  on  Long  Island  (2  253).  Point 
out  Harlem.  White  Plains.  North  Castle.  Forts  Washington  and 
Lee.  On  Map  No.  4,  Burlington.  Bordentown.  Trenton.  Princeton. 
Morristown. 

Read  Lives  of  Kosciusko,  Pulaski,  and  La  Fayette  in  Sparks's 
"American  Biographies." 

NOTES. 

1.  Bichard  Henry  Lee  (6.  1732,  d.  1794)  was  one  of  the  most  eminent 
statesmen  of  American  Revolutionary  times.  He  was  a  native  Virginian, 
a  brilliant  scholar,  a  wise  politician,  an  accomplished  speaker,  a  tried 
patriot.  His  fiery  eloquence  and  profound  political  knowledge  brought 
him  to  the  front  in  the  creative  days  of  our  national  republic.  One  of  his 
greatest  addresses  was  that  to  the  people  of  Great  Britain  in  1775,  wherein, 
after  stating  the  wrongs  the  colonies  had  endured,  he  wrote:  "And  shall 
the  descendants  of  Britons  tamely  submit  to  this?  No,  sirs!  we  never 
will  while  we  revere  the  memory  of  our  gallant  and  virtuous  ancestors. 
.  .  .  .  Admit  that  your  fleets  could  destroy  our  towns,  and  ravage  our 
sea-coasts;  these  are  inconsiderable  objects,  things  of  no  moment  to  men 

whose  bosoms  glow  with  the  ardor  of  liberty Your  ministers 

(equal  foes  to  British  and  American  freedom)  have  added  to  their  former 
oppressions  an  attempt  to  reduce  us  by  the  sword  to  a  base  and  abject 
submission.  On  the  sword,  therefore,  we  are  compelled  to  rely  for  pro 
tection.  Of  this,  at  least,  we  are  assured,  that  our  struggle  will  be  glorious, 
our  success  certain  ;  since  even  in  death  we  shall  find  that  freedom  which 
in  life  you  forbid  us  to  enjoy." 


NOTES.  149 


2.  "  It  was  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  the  final  decision  was  an 
nounced  by  secretary  Thomson  to  the  assembled  Congress  in  Independ 
ence  Hall.    It  was  a  moment  of  solemn  interest ;  and  when  the  secretary 
sat  down,  a  deep  silence  pervaded  that  august  assembly.    Thousands  of 
anxious  citizens  had  gathered  in  the  streets  of  Philadelphia,  for  it  was 
known  that  the  final  decision  was  to  be  made  on  that  day.    From  the 
hour  when  Congress  convened  in  the  morning,  the  old  bellman  had  been 
in  the  steeple.    He  placed  a  boy  at  the  door  below,  to  give  him  notice 
when  the  announcement  should  be  made.    As  hour  succeeded  hour,  the 
gray -beard  shook  his  head,  and  said,  'They  will  never  do  it!  they  will 
never  do  it ! '    Suddenly  a  loud  shout  came  up  from  below,  and  there 
stood  the  blue-eyed  boy,  clapping  his  hands  and  shouting, '  Ring !  ring ! ' 
Grasping  the  iron  tongue  of  the  old  bell,  backward  and  forward  he  hurled 
it  a  hundred  times,  its  loud  voice  proclaiming  '  Liberty  throughout  all  the 
land,  unto  all  the  inhabitants  thereof.'    The  excited  multitude  in  the 
streets  responded  with  loud  acclamations,  and  with  cannon-peals,  bon 
fires,  and  illuminations,  the  patriots  held  a  glorious  carnival  that  night 
in  the  quiet  city  of  Penn." — Lossing. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  this  bell,  now  known  as  the  "  Liberty  Bell," 
which  was  cast  twenty-three  years  before  the  Declaration  of  Independ 
ence,  had  around  its  crown  the  quotation  from  Scripture,  "  Proclaim  lib 
erty  throughout  all  the  land  unto  all  the  inhabitants  thereof."  The  bell, 
though  now  cracked  and  voiceless,  still  hangs  above  Independence  Hall. 
Upon  the  approach  of  the  British  in  1777,  it  was  removed  to  a  place  of 
safety ;  before  replacing  it,  the  old  belfry,  which  had  decayed,  was  torn 
down  and  a  new  one  built.  The  illustration  on  page  143  shows  the  present 
appearance  of  the  building. 

3.  Lord  Richard  Howe  (6.  1725,  d.  1799)  was  a  noted  British  admiral. 
He  entered  the  navy  at  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  took  part  in  many  im 
portant  sea-fights.    His  operations  on  the  American  coasts  continued  for 
about  two  years. 

4.  General  John  Sullivan  was  born  at  Berwick,  Maine,  in  1740,  and 
was  a  successful  lawyer  both  before  and  after  the  Revolution.    At  the 
battle  of  Long  Island  he  was  given  command  of  the  forces  of  General 
Greene,  who  was  sick.    Sullivan  fought  with  valor,  but  was  captured  by 
the  Hessians.    He  was  not  held  long  as  a  prisoner,  and,  returning  to  duty, 
did  good  service  throughout  the  war.    Afterwards  he  was  a  member  of 
Congress  and  United  States  Judge.    He  died  at  Durham,  N.  H.,  1795. 

5.  Lord  Stirling,  major-general  in  the  American  army,  was  a  descend 
ant  of  Sir  William  Alexander  (3  83).    He  was  born  in  New  York,  1726,  and 
died  1783. 

6.  Lord  Cornwallis  (6.  1738,  d.  1805)  was  a  prominent  British  com 
mander  in  the  Revolution  from  first  to  last.    At  this  time  the  English 
colonial  officers  wrote  home,  "  Cornwallis  is  carrying   all    before    him 
in  the  Jerseys ;  it  is  impossible  but  that  peace  must  soon  be  the  conse 
quence  of  our  success."    He  opposed  the  action  of  the  ministry  which  led 
to  the  war  in  America,  but  when  the  conflict  opened  he  took  the  field 
with  his  regiment,  and  was  soon  made  a  major-general.    After  his  career 
in  America,  Lord  Cornwallis  filled  several  public  offices  with  distinction. 
He  was  created  a  Marquis,  given  a  seat  in  the  Privy  Council  and  the  Cab 
inet,  became  Viceroy  of  Ireland,  and  was  twice  made  Governor-general 
of  India. 

7.  At  the  battle  of  Princeton   the  American  loss  included  several 
gallant  officers.    Their  fall  caused  a  temporary  panic  among  the  men, 
and  Washington  seeing  this  rode  bravely  to  the  front  and  rallied  the  fugi 
tives  at  the  great  peril  of  his  own  life.    The  British  losses  were  two  hun 
dred  killed  and  wounded,  besides  two  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners,  among 
whom  were  fourteen  officers. 

8.  The  Marquis  de  La  Fayette,  born  in  1757,  came  of  a  noble  French 
family,  and  to  the  close  of  his  eventful  life,  in  1834,  displayed  a  nobility 
of  character  rarely  surpassed.    He  was  an  orphan  from  early  childhood, 
and  during  his  school-days  in  Paris  and  Versailles  no  studies  interested 
him  so  much  as  the  histories  of  the  world's  great  struggles  for  freedom. 
Thus  was  kindled  in  his  breast  the  military  ardor  which  afterwards 
marked  his  career.    Married  at  sixteen,  he  entered  the  army  at  nineteen. 


150          HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


When  he  heard  that  the  American  colonies  had  declared  their  independ 
ence,  he  resolved  to  enlist  in  their  cause.  Franklin,  the  American  agent 
at  Paris,  was  unable  to  furnish  La  Fayette  with  transportation ;  so  he 
fitted  out  a  vessel  at  his  own  expense,  and,  notwithstanding  the  strong 
opposition  of  his  friends,  and  the  repeated  efforts  of  the  government 
to  cause  his  arrest,  he  embarked  from  a  port  in  Spain  early  in  the  year 
1777.  In  April  he  landed  on  the  South  Carolina  coast,  proceeded  at 
once  to  Philadelphia,  and  tendered  his  services  to  Congress.  That  body 
"  Resolved,  That  his  services  be  accepted,  and  that  in  consideration  of  his 
zeal,  illustrious  family,  and  connections,  he  have  the  rank  and  commis 
sion  of  major-general  in  the  army  of  the  United  States."  From  the  first 
meeting  he  and  Washington  became  warm  friends,  and  their  personal  at 
tachment  continued  through  life.  Although  young  and  inexperienced, 
General  La  Fayette  showed,  in  his  American  campaigns,  soldierly  quali 
ties  of  the  highest  order,  and  won  a  world-wide  reputation  for  great  mili 
tary  ability.  His  influence  at  the  French  court  secured  the  aid  of  many 
thousand  troops  for  the  patriots'  cause.  "  It  is  fortunate  for  the  king," 
said  Maurepas,  the  chief  minister,  "that  La  Fayette  did  not  take  it  into 
his  head  to  strip  Versailles  of  its  furniture  to  send  to  his  dear  America,  as 
his  Majesty  would  have  been  unable  to  refuse  it!" 

After  the  Revolutionary  War  he  revisited  the  United  States  in  1784,  and 
again  in  1824.  receiving  an  ovation  wherever  he  went.  He  visited  the 
chief  cities  of  the  country.  La  Fayette  was  a  prominent  figure  in  France 
during  the  "  Revolution."  He  fearlessly  denounced  the  wrongs  practiced 
upon  the  people,  and  became  their  boldest  champion.  He  was  made 
commander  of  the  National  Guard,  and  suggested  the  national  emblem 
of  the  "  tri-color."  In  1792,  during  the  war  with  Austria,  he  was  captured 
and  confined  for  five  years  in  a  dreary  dungeon  at  Olmutz.  For  twenty- 
two  months  his  wife  voluntarily  shared  his  imprisonment.  He  was  re 
leased  upon  the  demand  of  Napoleon,  but  never  was  a  partisan  of  the 
great  emperor.  His  death  occurred  in  Paris,  and  his  funeral  was  a  mag 
nificent  tribute  to  his  memory  as  held  in  the  hearts  of  the  French  people. 

9.  Kosciusko  (&.  1746,  d.  1817),  being  opposed  in  his  suit  by  the  father  of 
the  lady  with  whom  he  was  in  love,  left  his  native  land  in  1775  and  came 
to  America  to  join   the   patriot  army.    He  fought  valiantly  in  many 
battles,  and  returned  to  Poland  at  the  close  of  the  war.    From  1791  to  1794 
he  was  the  leader  and  hero  of  the  Polish  army  in  their  efforts  to  regain 
independence,  but  fell  severely  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Maciejowice. 

41  Hope,  for  a  season,  bade  the  world  farewell, 
And  Freedom  shrieked  as  Kosciusko  fell." 

He  was  captured  and  imprisoned  for  two  years  by  the  Russians,  re 
visited  the  United  States  soon  after  his  release,  lived  the  rest  of  his  days 
in  France  and  Switzerland,  and  met  his  death  by  fallingtfrom  his  horse 
over  a  precipice. 

10.  Count  Casimir  Pulaski  was  born  in  Lithuania,  1747,  and  received 
a  mortal  wound  in  the  attack  on  Savannah,  1779,  (§285).    His  father  and 
brothers  lost  their  lives  in  the  wars  for  Polish  independence,  and  he  him 
self  was  outlawed.    In  France  he  met  Benjamin  Franklin,  and  through 
him  offered  his  services  to  the  American  army. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

EVENTS  OF  1777  AND  1778. 

262.  For  the  campaign   of    I7771   two  great  movements 
were   planned   by   the    British.      Howe   was  to   seize   Phila 
delphia,   while  Burgoyne,   descending  from  Canada,  was  to 
meet   Clinton   ascending   from    New  York,    and   secure   the 
whole  line  of  Lake  Champlain  and   the  Hudson,   thus  cut 
ting  off  New  England  from  the  other  states. 

263.  Battles  of  Brandywine  and  Germantown.— 

Washington,   who  had  the   care  of  the  whole   defense,   de 
tained  Howe  all  summer  in  New  Jersey,  and  prevented  any 
march  of  British   detachments  to   the  north,   while  he  sent 
Arnold,  Lincoln,  and  Morgan  with  troops  he  could  ill  spare, 
to  aid  Schuyler  in  opposing  Burgoyne.     He  was  himself  de 
feated  at  Brandywine;2  Congress  hastily  removed  to  Lancas 
ter,  and  Howe  entered  Philadelphia,  September 
26.     A  bold  attack,  a  few  days  later,  upon  the 
British  at  Germantown,3  raised  the  spirits  of  the  Americans, 
though  it  did  not  regain  the  city.4 

264.  Battle  of  Bennington. — In  the  north -Fort  Ticon- 
deroga  was  surrendered  to  Burgoyne,  with  all  its 

cannon   and   stores;5    Fort    Edward    was    aban 
doned,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  whole  state  of  New  York  lay 
at   the  mercy   of  the  invaders.     The   Mohawk  Valley   was 
ravaged  by  a  force  of  Tories  and  Indians  in  English  pay.6 
The    British,    however,    were   scantily    supplied   with    food. 
Learning  that  the  Americans  had  stores  at  Bennington,  Bur 
goyne  sent  Lieutenant-colonel  Baum  with  a  force 
to  capture  them.     But  General   Stark,7  with  his 
New    Hampshire    militia,    and    Colonel    Warner,    with    his 

(ISO 


152  HISTORY  OF   THE   UNITED  STATES, 

"Green  Mountain  Boys,"  fought  with  such  spirit  that  Baum 
and  his  entire  command  were  either  killed  or  captured. 

265.  First  Battle  of  Saratoga. — At  this  point  General 
Gates8  took  command  of  the  army  in  the  north ;   the  New 
England  farmers,  inspired  with  new  hope  by  the  victory  at 
Bennington,   flocked  to  his  camp  at   Bemus's  heights   near 
Stillwater.     Burgoyne  came    up,  and   a   battle  was   fought,9 
September    19,    of   which   both   sides   claimed   the   victory. 
While  the  two  armies  lay  facing  each  other  for  a  fortnight, 
militia-bands  hovered  about  the  British,  cutting  off  their  sup 
plies,  now  and  then  capturing  a  picket-guard,  and  in  many 
ways  embarrassing  their  position. 

266.  Surrender  of  Burgoyne. — A  second  battle/'  Oc 
tober  7,  was  more  disastrous  to  the  British,  and  hunger  soon 
completed   what   the   American  arms  had   begun.     On   the 
1 7th  of  October  Burgoyne  surrendered  his  whole  army,  num 
bering  nearly   8,000  men,   with   all  their  cannon,   muskets, 
and  war  material.     The  men  were  to  have  sailed  from  Bos 
ton  for  Europe;  but,  some  delay  occurring,  they 
were  cantoned  among  the  fertile  fields  of  Virginia. 

The  Hessian  General  Riedesel  distributed  a  thousand  dol 
lars'  worth  of  seeds  among  his  men,  and  pretty  gardens  soon 
surrounded  their  barracks.  Some  of  them  liked  the  country 
so  well  that  they  remained  willingly  after  the  war  was  over, 
and  became  citizens  of  the  United  States. 

267.  Winter  at  Valley  Forge. — After  remaining  in  the 
field  until  shelter  became  necessary  for  the  preservation  of 
his   army,   Washington  went  into  winter-quarters   at  Valley 
Forge,    twenty  miles  from   Philadelphia.     Scantily   supplied 
with  food  and  clothing,  and  destitute  of  even  straw  to  sleep 
upon,    2,000   men   were    soon    disabled   by    illness.     Secret 
emissaries  from  General   Howe  offered  them  good  pay  and 
every  comfort  if  they  would  desert  to  the  British,  but  though 
many  of  them  had  been  born  in  Great  Britain,   scarcely  a 
man  accepted  the  bribe. 


SUFFERINGS  AT  VALLEY  FORGE.  153 

268.  The  winter  at  Valley  Forge  was  the  severest  agony 
of  the  war.     Washington  had  to  contend  not  only  with  cold 
and   starvation,    but   with    envious    plots10    against    himself, 
quarrels  among  his  officers,   and   weary  indifference  in   the 
people.     While  his  poor  men  were  starving,  farmers  sold  all 
their  produce  to  the  British,  or  even  burnt  it  to  keep  it  from 
being   taken   by   his   commissaries.      Even  the  clothing   and 
shoes  which  belonged  to  the  army,  failed  to  reach  it  through 
the    disgraceful     negligence    of    the    quartermaster-general. 
Washington  was  too  great  to  notice  injuries  which  only  con 
cerned  himself,   and  some  of  his  secret  enemies  afterwards 
bitterly  regretted  the  plots  they  had  made  against  him. 

269.  Baron    Steuben. —  Meanwhile    a   most    welcome 
volunteer   presented   himself   at   the   camp.     It   was   Baron 
Steuben,11  an  officer  of  Frederic  the  Great,12  who  came  pre 
pared  to   introduce  the  perfect  drill  of   the  Prussian  army, 
and  prepare  the  Americans  for  future  successes. 

270.  The  good  effects  of  the  victory  at  Saratoga 
were    yet    to    be    felt.      From    the    beginning    France    had 
wished  well  to  the  Americans,  partly  through  hatred  of  En 
gland,  who  had  deprived  her  of  so  large  a  part  of  this  con 
tinent  (§193),  and  now  that  the  tide  seemed  to  have  turned 
in  their  favor,  she  was  ready  to  take  their  part.     Benjamin 
Franklin  and   Arthur  Lee13  were  sent  as  commissioners  to 
Paris.     The  good  sense,  plain  dress,  and  simple  manners  of 
the   former  struck   the   fancy  of  the   queen   and   the  court, 
while  his  wise  and  brilliant  conversation  won  the  admiration 
of  wits  and  philosophers.     He  knew   how    to   turn   all   his 
success  to  the  account  of  his  country,   and  already  money, 
powder,  and  arms  reached  America  from  France. 

During   the   winter   after   the   surrender  of   Bur- 
goyne,  the  French  government  made  a  treaty  of  friendship 
with  the  United  States  of  America,  being  the  first  to  recognize 
that  new  nation  among  the  powers  of  the  world. 

271.  Great   Change   in   England. — The   same  events 


HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


Costumes  of  the  Revolution. 


produced  a  great  change  in  England.  Burke,  Fox,  and 
many  others  in  Parliament  demanded  that  the  Americans 
should  be  declared  free  at  once.  The  king  adjourned  Par 
liament  to  prevent  the  spread  of  these  sentiments,  but  sent 
commissioners  to  treat  for  peace,  promising  pardon  for  all 
offenses  upon  the  return  of  the  "colonies"  to  their  alle 
giance.  Congress  resolved  to  hold  no  conference  with  the 
envoys  unless  the  British  fleets  and  armies  should  be  with 
drawn,  or  the  independence  of  the  United  States  distinctly 
acknowledged;  and  the  war  went  on. 


INDIAN  MASSACRES.  155 

272.  Philadelphia  Regained. — General  Howe  resigned 
his  command,  and  Clinton,  who  succeeded  him,  was  ordered 
to   quit    Philadelphia   and   make   his   headquarters   in    New 
York.     Washington   pursued   his  retreating  army,   and,   but 
for  the  failure  of  General  Lee,  might  have  won  a  great  vic 
tory.     As  it  was,  he  rallied  Lee's  flying  brigades 

and  gained  the  battle  of  Monmouth;14   but  the 

British  escaped  to  New  York,  leaving  several   hundreds  of 

dead  or  wounded  on  the  field. 

273.  Attack   on    Newport. — Great   preparations  were 
made  for  a  combined  attack  of   the  French  and  American 
forces  upon  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  which  was  in  the  pos 
session    of    the    British.       Count    D'Estaing    arrived    from 
France  with  a  powerful  fleet,  and  learning  soon  after  that 
Admiral  Howe  was  awaiting  him  on  the  open  sea,  he  sailed 
out  of  Narragansett  Bay  for  a  fight.     A  terrible 

storm  arose,  however,  and  both  fleets,  shattered 
by  the  tempest,  had  to  withdraw  and  put  into  port  for  re 
pairs.  The  American  forces,  unsupported  by  the  fleet,  were 
now  compelled  to  retire  from  the  island,  and  during  the 
retreat  were  attacked  by  the  British.  The  latter,  however, 
were  repulsed,  and  the  Americans  withdrew  in  safety. 

274.  Massacre  at  Wyoming. — This  summer  was  sig 
nalized  by  a  terrible  massacre  of  old  men,  women,  and  chil 
dren  in  the  valley  of  Wyoming,  on  the  Susquehanna,  by  a 
combined   force   of   British   and    Seneca   Indians.     All   the 
strong  men  were  absent  in  the  army,  while  their  wives  tilled 
the  fields.     The  forts  in  which  they  had  found  refuge  on  the 
enemy's  approach,  were  taken  and  burnt.     Three  hundred 
old  men   and   boys   fought   valiantly   until   they   were   sur 
rounded  and  slain.     The  British  leaders  could  not,  if  they 
would,    restrain    their    savage    allies;     every    dwelling    was 
burnt,  and  the  beautiful  valley  became  a  solitude. 

275.  Savages    in    New    York. — The    same    dreadful 
scenes  were  repeated  at   Cherry   Valley   in   New  York,   by 


156  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


British  and  Mohawks  (November,  1778).  The  Six  Nations 
(§24  and  Note)  had  been  friendly  with  the  colonists  until 
the  preceding  year,  when  the  influence  of  the  Johnson 
family15  had  made  them  allies  of  the  British.  For  his  victory 
at  Lake  George  (§182),  Sir  William  Johnson  had  received 
an  immense  estate  on  the  Mohawk,  and  reigned  like  a  king 
over  his  tenants  and  the  neighboring  Indians.  It  is  said 
that  the  old  knight  died  of  apoplexy,  occasioned  by  the 
mental  struggle  between  loyalty  to  his  king  and  love  of  his 
country.  His  sons  were  not  troubled  by  the  latter  feeling, 
but  let  loose  all  the  horrors  of  savage  warfare  against  their 
countrymen. 

276.  In  the   summer  of  1779  a  stern  vengeance  was  in 
flicted  for  these  outrages.     The  towns  and  villages,  orchards 
and  corn-fields  of  the  Six  Nations  were  ravaged,  and  their 
chiefs,  Red  Jacket,  Brandt,  and  Cornplanter 1{i  were  signally 
defeated.     Finding  that  Great  Britain  was  unable  to  protect 
them,  they  ceased  from  their  ravages  and  remained  neutral 
during  the  remainder  of  the  war. 

277.  Colonel    Clark    in   the    North-west. — Virginia 
was  now  the  most  extensive  and  powerful  of  the  colonies. 
All   the    territory   north   of  the    Ohio,    south   of   the    Great 
Lakes,  and  east  of  the  Mississippi  was  within  her  chartered 
limits.     Late  in  1776  she  had  organized  the  settlements  west 
of   the    Alleghanies    (see   §243)   as    the    "County   of   Ken 
tucky."     In  1778  her  governor,  Patrick  Henry,  fitted  out  an 
expedition,  of  which  he  entrusted  the  command  to  the  rep 
resentative  from  that  colony,  Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark, 
to  capture  the  British  posts  north  of  the  Ohio  River.      Ham 
ilton,  the  British  governor  at  Detroit,  was  sending  out  parties 
of  savages   through    all    that   region,   offering  a  reward   for 
every  white  scalp;    and   his  cruel  emissaries  spared  neither 
women  nor  babes. 

278.  The   County  of   Illinois. — Clark   surprised   Kas- 
kaskia  and  Cahokia,  whose  inhabitants  gladly  declared  them- 


THE  NORTH-WESTERN  TERRITORY. 


m 


selves  loyal  to  the 
United  States.  So 
did  the  people  of  Vin- 
cennes,  who  were 
mostly  French ;  but 
fort,  newly  rein- 


Attack  on  Vincennes. 


forced  by  Hamilton,  offered  resistance.  After  a  spirited 
fight  it  was  taken,  Hamilton  himself  and  all  his  garrison 
becoming  prisoners  of  war.  A  convoy  of  supplies  from 
Detroit  was  also  taken  with  forty  prisoners.  Virginia  pub- 


158  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

licly  thanked  Colonel  Clark  and  his  brave  officers  and  men 
for  having  gained  possession  for  the  state  of  all  the  impor 
tant  posts  on  the  Illinois  and  Wabash,  and  established  repub 
lican  government  in  place  of  the  British  dominion.  Every 
soldier  in  the  expedition  was  presented  with  two  hundred 
acres  of  land.  The  whole  territory  north  of  the  Ohio  was 
organized  as  the  "County  of  Illinois." 

279.  Fort  Jefferson  was  built  on  the  Mississippi,  five  miles 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  Natchez  and  other  British 
settlements  on  the  lower  Mississippi  were  gained  by  the 
United  States  during  the  summer  of  1778,  and  the  great 
central  valley  was  now  held  only  by  Spain  and  the  new  Re 
public,  in  more  or  less  declared  rivalry  with  the  Shawnees, 
Miamis,  and  other  savages. 

Trace  on  Map  No.  4,  the  main  points  in  Burgoyne's  campaign.  The 
scenes  of  the  Indian  massacres.  The  western  campaign  of  Colonel 
Clark. 

NOTES. 

1.  Within  a  few  days  after  the  battle  of  Princeton,  the  New  Jersey 
militia  successfully  attacked  small  parties  of  the  enemy  at  Springfield  and 
Somerset  Court-house,  capturing  a  number  of  prisoners  and  much  valu 
able  plunder.    A  little  later  the  British  made  a  raid  upon  Peekskill,  on 
the  Hudson,  where  General  McDougall,  with  about  250  men,  was  in  charge 
of  army  stores.    In  April  General  Tryon,  with  2,000  soldiers,  attacked 
Danbury,  Conn.,  and  destroyed  a  great  many  tents  and  other  American 
supplies;  but  on  his  retreat  to  the  Sound  his  forces  were  so  vigorously 
pressed  by  the  troops  under  generals  Arnold,  Wooster,  and  Silliman  that 
they  were  glad  to  escape  to  their  boats.    General  Wooster  lost  his  life,  and 
Arnold  had  a  horse  shot  under  him.    The  losses  in  killed  and  wounded 
were  about  equally  divided.    In  May  Colonel  Meigs  made  a  sudden  de 
scent  on  Long  Island  from  New  Haven,  and  destroyed  twelve  British 
vessels  and  many  stores  at  Sag  Harbor.    In  July  Colonel  Barton,  with  a 
body  of  the  Rhode  Island  militia,  surprised  the  English  General  Prescott 
in  camp  near  Newport,  and  took  him  prisoner.    He  was  afterwards  ex 
changed  for  General  Charles  Lee  (§2f>7). 

2.  In  the  battle  of  Brandywine,  September  llth,  Washington  lost  800 
in  killed  and  wounded,  besides  10  cannon ;  the  British  loss  was  about  600. 
La  *  ayette  received  a  severe  wound  in  the  leg,  which  kept  him  from  the 
field  for  two  months. 

One  week  later  a  midnight  massacre  occurred  near  Paoli,  Penn.,  in 
which  General  Wayne's  outposts  were  surprised  and  cut  to  pieces  by 
three  regiments  of  Gray's  English  infantry.  Nearly  200  were  killed. 

3.  Washington's  night  march  to  Germantown,  and  the  simultaneous 
attack  on  the  front  and  flanks  of  the  enemy  at  sunrise,  October  4th,  were 
skillfully  and  boldly  planned.    He  hoped  to  win  a  decisive  victory  before 
General  Howe  could  send  reinforcements  from  Philadelphia;  and  but  for 


NOTES.  159 


three  things— a  dense  fog,  a  drunken  officer,  and  the  delay  caused  by  the 
storming  of  the  "  Chew-house  "—he  would  have  succeeded.  General 
Wayne  was  in  actual  possession  of  the  English  camp  when  his  forces 
were  tired  upon  from  the  rear  by  another  division  of  the  Americans, 
who  mistook  them  for  the  enemy.  The  two  bodies  fought  each  other 
in  the  fog  for  some  time  before  the  terrible  mistake  was  discovered. 
It  came  to  light  afterwards  that  the  general  who  was  responsible  for  the 
blunder  was  drunk,  and  he  was  dismissed  the  service.  The  "Chew- 
house"  was  a  strong  stone  building,  which  six  companies  of  British 
troops  occupied  and  barricaded,  so  that  they  were  able  to  resist  all  attacks 
for  over  an  hour.  This  delay  and  the  carnage  at  this  point  proved  fatal. 
Washington  ordered  a  retreat.  His  losses  were  1,000  men;  that  of  the 
English  about  500. 

4.  Though  Howe  held  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  his  communications 
both  by  land  and  sea  were  cut  off  by  Washington's  wise  disposition  of  his 
forces.    The  land  army  intercepted  British  supplies  from  the  country,  and 
the  little  garrisons  of  brave  men  in  forts  Mifflin  and  Mercer,  on  the  Dela 
ware,  prevented  the  ascent  of  ships.    Colonel  Donop,  with  a  force  of  1,200 
Hessians,  attacked  Fort  Mercer,  and  in  less  than  an  hour's  time  lost  his 
own  life  and  400  men.    An  attack  on  Fort  Mifflin  by  the  English  fleet, 
November  19th,  was  more  successful.    A  gallant  resistance  was  made  by 
the  garrison,  but  after  losing  more  than  half  their  number  in  killed  and 
wounded,  the  remainder  crossed  the  river  to  Fort  Mercer.    In  a  short  time 
the  Americans  were  obliged  to  evacuate  this  post  also ;  thus,  at  the  close 
of  1777,  General  Howe  had  undisputed  possession  of  the  Delaware  from 
Philadelphia  to  the  sea. 

5.  On  the  retreat  from  Fort  Ticonderoga  to  Fort  Edward,  a  body  of  Gen 
eral  St.  Clair's  forces  was  repulsed  at  Hubbardton  with  a  loss  of  between 
300  and  400  men.    He  was  compelled  to  make  a  circuit  of  a  hundred  miles 
to  avoid  another  unequal  contest  with  the  enemy. 

6.  This  expedition  was  under  the  command  of  Colonel  St.  Leger;  the 
Mohawk  Indians,  1,000  in  number,  were  led  by  their  chief,  Joseph  Brandt. 
At  Oriskany,  August  5th,  they  encountered  the  veteran,  General  Nicholas 
Herkimer,  with  800  militiamen,  and  a  furious  battle  followed.    Herkimer 
received  a  mortal  wound,  but  directed  the  movements  of  his  men  until 
the  fight  was  over.    Relief  came  to  the  Americans  at  length  from  Fort 
Schuyler,  which  was  not  far  distant,  and  St.  Leger,  with  his  savage  allies, 
was  put  to  flight.    The  losses  on  each  side  were  about  200  killed  and 
wounded. 

7.  General  John  Stark,  of  Dunbarton,  N.  H.,  had  distinguished  him 
self  for  bravery  at  Bunker  Hill  and  Trenton,  and  his  neighboring  farmers 
rallied  by  hundreds  at  his  call  to  resist  this  invasion  of  the  British.    At 
the  first  sight  of  the  enemy  he  is  said  to  have  exclaimed,  "See  there, 
my  men!  there  are  the  red-coats!    Before  night  they're  ours,  or  Molly 
Stark  's  a  widow !  "    This  story  has  been  disputed  on  the  apparently 
plausible  ground  that  Mrs.  Stark  was  named  Elizabeth  ;  but  a  paper  re 
cently  discovered  proves  that  the  General  had  his  own  preference— in 
which  historians  need  not  oppose  him — for  calling  her  Molly.    The  story, 
therefore,  rests  on  stronger  evidence  than  before. 

8.  General  Horatio  Gates  had  been  in  command   before  General 
Schuyler,  and  was  superseded  by  him.    Schuyler's  loss  of  Forts  Ticon 
deroga  and  Edward  was  the  cause  of  Gates  being  reinstated.    Both  were 
brave  soldiers:  they  had  served  with  honor  in  the  "French  and  Indian 
War."    Indiscreet  friends  of  General  Gates  afterwards  attempted  to  se 
cure  his  promotion  above  General  Washington,  and  his  own  correspond 
ence  shows  that  he  was  covetous  of  the  chief  command ;  but,  happily, 
that  change  was  never  made. 

9.  This  is  variously  called  the  first  battle  of  Saratoga,  battle  of 
Bemus's  Heights,  Stillwater,  and  Freeman's  Farm.    It  was  a  hotly  con 
tested  fight,  lasting  from  noon  until  dark.    The  British  lost  650  men,  the 
Americans  325. 

The  losses  in  the  second  battle  (October  7)  on  the  same  field  were  150  in 
General  Gates's  army  and  400  in  General  Burgoyne's.  The  death  of  Gen- 
end  Frazer  on  that  day  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  British.  Arnold  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  major-general  for  his  bravery  in  this  fight.  The 


160  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


two  battles  of  Saratoga  rank  among  the  decisive  battles  of  history ;  for 
they  forced  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne's  army,  which,  up  to  that  time, 
was  to  the  Americans  the  most  brilliant  victory  of  the  war. 

10.  The  most  serious  plot  against  Washington,  at  this  time,  is  known 
as  the  "  Con  way  Cabal."    Conway  was  an  Irishman  by  birth,  but  .had 
come  to  America  with  the  French  allies,  and  gained  rapid  promotion. 
He  was  at  the  head  of  the  movement  to  depose  Washington  from  the 
chief  command  of  the  army,  and  to  appoint  General  Gates  in  his  stead. 
When  the  intrigue  became  generally  known  the  people  condemned  it 
loudly,  and  suspicion  ever  afterwards  attached  to  all  who  were  found  to 
have  been  in  any  way  connected  with  the  plot. 

11.  Baron  Steuben  was  born  in  a  Prussian  fortress,  A.  D,  1730,  passed 
his  childhood  in  the  camps  of  soldiers,  and  entered  the  army  at  the  age 
of  fourteen.    He  received  wounds  at  Prague  and  Kunersdorf,  was  taken 
prisoner  in  Poland,  and  was  the  hero  of  many  European  battle-fields.    He 
displaced  Conway  as  inspector-general  of  the  American  army,  and  by  his 
superior  tactics  soon  converted  the  raw  recruits  into  efficient,  well  drilled 
soldiers.    Steuben  served  to  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  received  a  pen 
sion  and  tracts  of  land  from  the  government,  settled  in  Oneida  County, 
N.  Y.,  in  1789,  and  died  there  in  1794. 

12.  Frederic  II.  of  Prussia  was  the  greatest  general  of  his  age.    He 
well  knew  what  it  was  to  fight  under  tremendous  difficulties,  for  at  one 
time  all  Europe  was  combined  against  him.    He  said  of  Washington's 
movements  in  New  Jersey,  at  the  end  of  1776,  that  they  were  the  most 
brilliant  in  the  annals  of  war.    Of  the  American  soldiers  he  said,  "  I  like 
those  brave  fellows,  and  can  not  help  secretly  hoping  for  their  success." 
"  The  British  Parliament,"  said  Frederic,  "  have  acted  like  an  infuriated 
fool  in  the  American  business." 

13.  Arthur  Lee  (b.  1740,  d.  1792)  rendered  important  service  to  his  coun 
try  not  only  at  the  court  of  France,  but  also  in  those  of  Spain,  Prussia, 
and  Holland.    He  was  the  efficient  agent  of  the  Massachusetts  colony  at 
London  for  a  time ;  and  afterwards  of  his  native  state,  Virginia,  at  Paris, 
for  the  negotiation  of  loans  and  the  obtaining  of  arms.    He  proved  a 
skillful  diplomatist.    Attractive  in  person  and  energetic  in  action,  Arthur 
Lee  has  been  truly  called  "  the  scholar,  the  writer,  the  philosopher,  and 
negotiator."    In  all  these  capacities  he  won.  distinction. 

14.  During  the  fury  of  this  battle  a  young  cannoneer  was  shot  down, 
and  his  piece  was  about  to  be  taken  by  the  enemy  when  his  wife— Molly 
Pitcher — who  had  been  carrying  water  to  the  soldiers,  bravely  seized  the 
rammer,  reloaded  the  cannon,  and  fired  it  with  fatal  effect  upon  the  ad 
vancing  foe.    Washington  gave  her  a  sergeant's   commission   for  her 
heroic  conduct.    She  afterwards  went  by  the  name  of  "Captain  Molly." 

15.  The  Johnsons  were  leading  Tories  in  the  region  where  they  lived. 
The  secret  of  their  influence  over  the  Indians  was  that  a  sister  of  Joseph 
Brandt,  the  most  powerful  chief  of  the  Six  Nations,  was  the  Indian  wife 
of  Sir  William  Johnson. 

16.  Red  Jacket  and  Cornplanter  were  chiefs  of  the  Seneca  tribe. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

EVENTS   OF    1779-1781, 

280.  War  in  the   South. — The  main  action  was  now 
transferred  to  the  South.     Savannah,  with  all  its  cannon  and 
stores,  was  taken  by  a  British  force,  December,   1778,  after 
a  brave  but  ineffectual  resistance.     Many  people  accepted 
the  British  protection,  but  those  who  were  true  to  American 
freedom   took    refuge    in    the    highlands    and    in    Carolina. 
Georgia  became  for  three  years  a  royal  province. 

281.  Major-general  Lincoln1  was  appointed  to  com 
mand  the  American  forces  in  the  South.     Port  Royal  having 
been  taken  by  the  British,  was  gallantly  recapt 
ured    by    Colonel    Moultrie.      Charleston    was 
threatened,  but  not  then  taken,  for  upon  the  approach  of 
Lincoln  the  enemy  hastily  retreated.     Thenceforth  the  British 
general  contented  himself  with  ravage  and  robbery,   which 
only  provoked  the  patriots  to  sterner  efforts,  while  they  ruined 
the  royal  cause  in  the  esteem  of  all  right-minded  people. 

282.  Recapture   of  Stony   Point. — The  enemy  were 
now  in  possession  of  the  forts  on  the  lower  Hudson  which 
guarded  the  communication   between  New  York  and  New 
Jersey.     In  July,  1779,  General  Wayne2 — "Mad  Anthony" 
he  was  called — was  intrusted  by  Washington  with  the  recapt 
ure  of  Stony  Point.3     With  a  small  number  of  chosen  men 
he  surprised  the  guard  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,   climbed  the 
rugged  height  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  the  river,  and 
seized  the  fort.     Though  wounded  in  the  attack,  he  was  car 
ried  at  the  head  of  the  storming  party.     Six  hundred  British 
were   either  killed  or  captured.     As  Washington  had  not  a 

U.S.  H.-11.  (!6l) 


1 62  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

force  sufficient  to  hold  the  fort,  the  stores  were  all  removed 

and  the  works  demolished.     At  Paulus  Hook,  Major  Lee,4 

called    "Light-Horse   Harry,"   captured  what  is 

now  Jersey  City,   almost  under  the  guns  of  the 

British  in  New  York. 

283.  The  infant  Navy  of  the  United  States  made  up 
in  boldness  and  swiftness  of  movement  what  it  lacked  in 

size,  even  entering  the  Brit 
ish  harbors  in  the  West  In 
dies,  burning  ships  at  the 
wharves,  and  carrying  off 
powder  and  other  stores. 
A  swarm  of  privateers,  com 
missioned  by  Congress,  capt 
ured  in  three  years  five 
hundred  English  vessels. 
Captain  Paul  Jones,5  on  the 
< '  Bon  Homme  Richard, ' ' 6 
is  said  to  have  taken  six 
teen  prizes  in  six  weeks. 
Among  his  most  famous 
sea-fights  was  that  with  the 
British  frigate  "  Serapis" 

With  his  own  hands  he  lashed  the  two  vessels  together,  and 
fought  so  desperately  that  the  "Serapis"  struck  her  colors 
just  as  his  own  ship  was  sinking.  Both  vessels  had  been  on 
fire  many  times  during  their  two  hours'  combat.  Jones  had 
barely  time  to  remove  his  men  to  the  captured  vessel,  which 
he  sailed  into  a  Dutch  port. 

284.  Winter  at  Morristown. — The  winter  of  1779-80 
was  the  coldest  in  the  eighteenth  century,  and  Washington's 
army  at  Morristown  suffered,  if  possible,  more  than  two 
years  before  at  Valley  Forge.  The  longer  the  war  lasted, 
the  more  bare  of  all  supplies  the  country  became.  Bands  of 


SOUTHERN  LEADERS.  163 

British  and  Tories  ravaged  all  the  coasts,  penetrating  the 
James,  Potomac,  Hudson,  and  Connecticut  rivers,  and  burn 
ing  houses,  barns,  and  boats. 

285.  Fall   of    Charleston. — During   the   autumn,    the 
French  fleet  of   D'Estaing  had  joined  with  the  land  forces 
under  General  Lincoln  in  attempting  to  retake  Savannah, 
but    without    success.      In    this    siege    the    brave    Pulaski 
charged  with  his  "  legion"  upon  the  fortifications,  and  fell 
mortally   wounded.     His   loss  was   a  grievous   one   to   the 
patriot   army.     Count   D'Estaing,   also,   received   two   slight 
wounds.     A    thousand   brave  men   lost   their   lives,    among 
them   Sergeant  Jasper,   who  died  clasping  to  his  heart  the 
colors  presented  to  his  regiment  at  Fort  Moultrie  (see  Note, 
p.   142).     In  March,  1780,  Clinton  appeared  before  Charles 
ton  with  a  fleet  and  army.     On  the  i2th  of   May  the  city 
was  compelled  to  surrender.     The  whole  state  was  overrun 
by  marauders;  all  men  were  ordered  into  the  king's  army, 
and  many  who  refused  were  murdered   in   the  presence  of 
their  wives  and  children. 

286.  Sumter,    Marion,    and    Pickens,7    with    their 
spirited  and  devoted  followers,  gave  the  British  little  peace 
in  their  regained  province.     Knowing  all  the  paths  through 
woods  and  marshes,  shrinking  from  no  hardship  and  delight 
ing  in  danger,  they  sprang  upon  the  invaders  at  unexpected 
moments,   and  often  captured  numbers  greatly   superior  to 
their   own.8     Meanwhile    the    women    of    the    South    were 
equally  resolute  in  maintaining  their  share  of  the  defense. 
One  lady,  whose  house  had  been  seized  and  garrisoned  by 
a  British  force,  suggested  to  the  American  officers  the  plan 
of  setting  it  on  fire,   and  brought  with  her  own  hands  the 
bow  and  arrows  with  which  fire-brands  were  to  be  conveyed 
to  the  wooden  roof.     Then  she  stood  watching  the   flames 
that  were  devouring  her  home  until  the  enemy  were  forced 
to  surrender  themselves  as  prisoners. 

287.  Marion   as   a    Host. — It    is    said    that   a   British 


164 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


officer,  sent  to  arrange  some 
matters  of  business  with  Ma 
rion,  was  invited  by  him  to 
dinner.  Already  charmed  by 
the  grace  and  dignity  of  his 
host,  he  gladly  accepted 


Marion's  Dinner. 

invitation,  but  was  amazed  to  find  that  the  meal  consisted 
only  of  baked  potatoes  served  on  bark.  No  apology  was 
made,  but  the  guest  could  not  help  saying,  ' '  Surely,  Gen 
eral,  this  is  not  your  ordinary  fare?"  "  Indeed  it  is,"  re 
plied  Marion,  "but  having  to-day  the  honor  of  your  com 
pany,  we  are  so  happy  as  to  have  more  than  our  usual 
allowance."  The  officer  returned  to  Charleston  and  re- 


MORGAN,   GREENE,  AND 


signed  his  commission,  saying  that  America  would  never 
be  conquered  while  served  by  such  men. 

288.  Gates    and    Greene. — Gates   was    this    year    ap 
pointed  to   command   in   the   South,   and   came  with   much 
bluster  about   "  Burgoyning  Cornwallis,"  who  was  now  the 
British  chief.     Gates  was  terribly  defeated,  however,  at  Cam- 
den,9  (August,  1780),  and  his  "grand  army"  was  scattered. 
The  brave  Baron  De  Kalb,   whose  invincible   firmness  had 
enabled     the     Continental 

troops  to  stand  fast  even 
after  the  militia  gave  way, 
fell  at  last,  covered  with 
wounds.  He  had  been  a 
comrade  of  La  Fayette,  and 
his  death  was  bitterly  la 
mented.  The  British  lost 
not  more  than  three  hun 
dred  men.  General  Greene 10 
was  soon  afterward  appoint 
ed  to  succeed  Gates,  and 
found  only  a  tattered  and 
demoralized  troop  of  2,000 
men  with  which  to  retrieve 
the  fortunes  of  the  new  Re 
public. 

289.  In   the   battle   of   the    Cowpens   the   American 
militia  at  first  gave  way,   and  the  regulars   fell  back  to  a 
better    position.      The    British,    supposing    that    they    had 
gained  an  uncommonly  easy  victory,  rushed  for 
ward,  when  they  were  surprised  by  the  sudden 

facing  about  of  the  Continentals,  who  poured  upon  them  so 
deadly  a  fire  that  they  had  to  run  in  their  turn.  They  were 
pursued  twenty  miles  by  Colonel  Washington,11  and  lost 
eight  hundred  men,  with  all  their  arms  and  cannon,  while 
the  Americans  lost  only  twelve  killed  and  sixty  wounded. 


General  Greene. 


Jan.,  1781, 


1 66  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

This  "most  extraordinary  victory  of  the  war"  was  due  to 
the  spirit  and  ability  of  General  Morgan,11  who  was  bravely 
supported  by  his  officers  and  men. 

290.  A  Chase  by  Cornwallis. — When  Cornwallis  heard 
of  this  reverse  he  burned  his  baggage  and  pursued  Morgan, 
who  was  now  joined  by  Greene  and  the  main  army.     The 
Americans  had  just  crossed  the  Catawba  when  the  British 
came  in  sight,  but  night  and  a  heavy  rain  checked  the  pur 
suers.     Next  morning  the  river  was  too  deep  to  ford,  and 
Cornwallis  was  delayed  three  days. 

Greene  pushed  on  to  the  Yadkin  and  secured  all  its  boats. 
Cornwallis  followed  and  again  came  in  sight  of  the  Ameri 
cans  just  as  they  had  crossed  the  stream.  Again  sudden 
and  violent  rains  came  to  their  rescue  and  his  discomfiture. 
Two  days  later  a  similar  race  was  begun  for  the  fords  of  the 
Dan,  and  a  third  time  America  was  saved  by  the  interpo 
sition  of  Providence.  In  spite  of  poverty,  suffering,  and  the 
frightful  odds  that  were  yet  to  be  encountered,  the  brave 
people  took  heart  again,  and  believed  that  their  country 
was  destined  to  be  free. 

291.  Southern    States    Recovered. — Greene's   army 
being   rested   and  reinforced    by  troops  from  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina,  turned  and  gave  battle  near  Guilford  Court- 

ch         house.     He  was  defeated,   but  Cornwallis  was  so 
much  weakened  by  his  losses   in   the  battle  and 
the  previous  pursuit,  that  he  abandoned  Carolina  and  with 
drew  into  Virginia. 

General   Greene,    though  suffering  several   defeats,    man 
aged    to    keep    all    his    positions,    and    at    Eutaw 
Springs  he  gained  a  brilliant  victory.     In  pursuing 
the  British  after  this  battle,  great  losses  were  sustained;  but 
in  nine  months  Georgia  and  the  two  Carolinas  had  been  re 
covered,  with  the  exception  of  the  three  cities  of  Savannah, 
Charleston,  and  Wilmington. 


NOTES.  167 


Where  was  Stony  Point  ?  Paulus  Hook  (now  Jersey  City)  ?  On 
Map  No.  4,  point  out  Savannah.  Charleston.  Camden.  Battle-field  of 
the  Cowpens.  Guilford  Court-house.  Eutaw  Springs.  Trace  Corn- 
wallis's  pursuit  of  Morgan  and  Greene. 

Read  Simms's  "Life  of  Marion;"  Moultrie's  "Memoirs  of  the 
Revolution;"  Henry  Lee's  "Memoirs  of  the  War  in  the  Southern 
States;"  Cooper's  "History  of  the  American  Navy;"  Mackenzie's 
"Life  of  Paul  Jones." 

NOTES. 

1.  Major-general  Benjamin  Lincoln  (b.  1733,  d.  1810)  was  born  and  died 
in  Hingham,  Mass.    He  was  a  sturdy  farmer, — member  of  the  legislature 
and  of  the  provincial  Congress.    Early  in  the  war  he  showed  military 
ability,  and  gained  rapid  promotion.    He  distinguished  himself  at  White 
Plains  for  bravery,  and  on  Bemus's  Heights  received  a  wound  that  kept 
him  for  a  year  out  of  active  service.    After  his  capture  at  Charleston 
(g  285)  he  was  allowed  to  go  home  on  parole,  but  was  not  exchanged  for 
nearly  a  year.    He  then  hastened  to  the  front,  and  held  important  com 
mands  until  the  close  of  the  war  (§  304).    His  later  years  were  divided  be 
tween  public  office  and  retirement  oh  his  farm. 

2.  General  Anthony  "Wayne,  by  reason  of  his  many  brilliant  feats  at 
arms,  became  the  popular  hero  of  the  Revolution.    He  was  born  in  Ches 
ter  County,  Pennsylvania,  1745,  and  died  at  Presque  Isle  (now  Erie,  Pa.), 
1796,  while  on  his  return  from  a  successful  expedition  against  the  western 
Indians.    By  profession  he  was  a  surveyor,  and  he  was  long  an  intimate 
friend  of  Franklin.    For  his  heroism,  at  Stony  Point,  Congress  gave  him  a 
vote  of  thanks  and  a  gold  medal. 

3.  "  After  a  careful  reconnoissance  in  person,  General  Wayne  divided 
his  force  into  two  columns  and  moved  forward.    The  men  were  to  depend 
upon  the  bayonet  alone,  and  an  order  was  issued  that  the  nearest  officer 
should  instantly  cut  down  any  soldier  who  took  his  gun  from  his  shoulder 
before  the  word  was  given.    That  they  might  distinguish  each  other  in 
the  darkness,  a  bit  of  white  paper  was  fastened  to  their  hats,  and  they 
were  to  shout, '  The  fort 's  our  own ! '  as  they  entered  the  works."— Bryant. 

4.  Major  Lee— afterwards  General  Henry  Lee— was  one  of  the  leading 
spirits  in  the  southern  department.    He  was  a  brave  soldier  and  a  skillful 
officer.    He  died  in  1816.    General  Robert  E.  Lee  (§  523)  was  his  son. 

5.  John  Paul  Jones  was  born  in  the  south  of  Scotland,  1747.    As  a  boy 
he  was  daring  and  fond  of  adventure.    He  became  a  ship's  apprentice  at 
twelve  years  of  age,  and  made  his  first  voyage  to  Virginia,  where  he  had  a 
brother.    For  a  time  he  was  mate  of  a  slave-ship,  but  soon  recoiled  from 
the  horrors  of  the  business  and  came  to  America  to  live.    In  1775  he  was 
appointed  lieutenant  in  the  navy,  and  was  the  first  man  to  hoist  the 
newly  adopted  "  stars  and  stripes."    The  capture  of  the  Serapis  was  his 
last  sea  fight  for  the  Americans,  but  his  successes  during  the  previous 
three  years  had  been  numerous  and  brilliant.    In  1788  Jones  was  made 
rear-admiral  of  the  Russian  navy,  and  fought  against  the  Turks.    He 
died  at  Paris  in  1792. 

6.  The  name  of  Jones's  ship  is  an  odd  memorial  of  the  circumstances  in 
which  he  obtained  it.    While  waiting  at  Boulogne,  wearied  with  the 
delay  of  the  French  officials  to  answer  his  application  for  a  command  in 
their  navy,  he  happened  to  open  "Poor  Richard's  Almanac'1''  (§204)  at  the 
sentence,  "  If  you  would  have  your  business  done,gro;  if  not,  send."    He 
took  the  hint,  hastened  to  Paris,  got  his  ship  assigned  him,  and  asked 
leave  to  call  it  "Bon  Homme  Richard;"  i.  e.,  Goodman  Richard,  in  grati 
tude  to  the  author  of  his  success.    His  uniform  good  fortune  as  a  com 
mander  was,  perhaps,  another  fruit  of  his  obedience  to  Franklin's  advice. 


1 68  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


7.  Sumter,  Marion,  and  Pickens  were  South  Carolinians  by  birth  or 
adoption ;  they  were  among  the  bravest  of  the  patriot  commanders ;  and 
their  campaigns  amid  the  tangled  swamps  of  the  South,  leading  their 
motley  bands  of  determined,  ragged,  and  half-armed  exiles,  present  some 
of  the  most  thrilling  episodes  of  the  war.    Cornwallis  wrote,  "  Sumter 
certainly  has  been  our  greatest  plague  in  this  country ; "  and  of  Marion 
he  said,  "  He  has  so  wrought  on  the  minds  of  the  people  that  there  is 
scarcely  an  inhabitant  between  the  Pedee  and  the  Santee  that  is  not  in 
arms  against  us." 

8.  "  The  fate  of  immense  and  fertile  regions  was  decided  by  armies  con 
sisting  of  a  few  regiments  only,  and  by  engagements  which  in  the  bloody 
annals  of  modern  European  warfare  would  be  regarded  as  scarcely  more 
than  skirmishes.    But  the  importance  of  battles  does  not  depend  upon 
the  forces  engaged,  or  on  the  numbers  of  killed  and  wounded.    In  this 
point  of  view,  the  incidents  of  the  southern  campaigns  become  worthy 
of  particular  attention." — Hildreth. 

9.  The  loss  of  the  Americans  at  the  battle  of  Cam  den  was  nearly 
two  thousand  in  killed  and  wounded.    "  Every  corps  was  scattered  ;  men 
and  officers,  separated  from  each  other,  fled  in  small  parties,  or  singly, 
through  the  woods.    All  the  baggage  and  artillery  fell  into  the  hands  or 
the  enemy.    The  road  for  miles  was  strewed  with  the  killed  and  wounded, 
overtaken  and  cut  down  by  the  British  cavalry." 

10.  Major-general  Nathaniel  Greene  was  born  of  Quaker  parentage, 
in  Warwick,  Rhode  island,  1742,  and  died  from  sunstroke,  near  Savannah, 
1786.    Before  his  appointment  to  the  chief  command  of  the  southern  de 
partment  he  had  taken  an  important  part  in  northern  campaigns.    He 
led  a  division  at  Trenton,  at  Princeton,  and  at  Brandy  wine ;  and  com 
manded  a  wing  of  the  army  at  Germantown  and  at  Monmouth.    His 
military  conduct  was  always  brave  and  skillful.    When  driven  out  of 
South  Carolina  by  Cornwallis,  General  Greene  solemnly  recorded  a  vow 
that  he  "would  recover  that  state  or  die  in  the  attempt." 

11.  General  Daniel  Morgan  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  died  there 
in  1799.    In  Braddock's  campaign  of  1765  he  was  severely  wounded,  and 
was  taken  prisoner  at  Quebec  the  next  year.    He  rendered  valiant  service 
in  the  New  Jersey  campaigns  of  1776  and  1777 ;  but  his  crowning  laurels 
were  won  at  "the  Cowpens,"  for  which  brilliant  achievement  Congress 
voted  him  a  gold  medal. 

The  gallant  Colonel  William  Augustine  Washington  received  a  silver 
medal  for  his  conduct  in  the  same  engagement.  In  several  previous  bat 
tles—Long  Island,  Trenton,  Princeton— he  had  proved  his  bravery.  He 
was  taken  prisoner  at  FJutaw  Springs  (§291),  and  was  held  by  the  British 
until  the  war  closed.  He  was  born  in  Virginia,  1752,  and  after  the  war 
settled  in  Charleston,  S.  C.,  where  he  died,  1810. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

END   OF   THE   WAR. 


292.  Arnold's  Treason. — The  summer  of  1780  was 
marked  in  the  north  by  a  strange  and  disgraceful  event. 
Benedict  Arnold  had  borne  his  full  share  in  the  hardships 

(169) 


1 70  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

of  the  war,  and  at  Quebec  and  Saratoga  had  won  the  admi 
ration  of  all  by  his  headlong  bravery.  But  his  honesty  was 
not  equal  to  his  valor.  He  had  made  money  by  speculating 
in  the  stores  provided  for  the  starving  army,  and  lost  it  by 
gambling  and  luxurious  living.  He  complained  that  other 
officers  had  been  promoted  to  his  disadvantage,  and  that  his 
sacrifices  to  his  country  had  not  been  recognized  by  Con 
gress. 

293.  After  the  retreat  of  Clinton  he  was  placed  in  com 
mand   at    Philadelphia,    and   here   he   was   tried    by    court- 
martial   for   dishonesty,    and  was  sentenced  to  be  publicly 
reprimanded   by   the  comrnander-in-chief.     Washington  per 
formed  the  painful  duty  with  perfect  gentleness,  giving  to 
Arnold  full  credit  for  his  great  services,  and  sparing  his  feel 
ings  as  much  as  possible. 

Nevertheless,  Arnold  —  to  mend  his  ruined  fortunes  and 
avenge  what  he  chose  to  consider  an  injury — made  known 
to  Clinton  his  wish  to  enter  the  British  service.  He  ob 
tained  from  Washington  the  command  of  West  Point,  then 
the  most  important  post  in  the  country,  as  controlling  the 
whole  line  of  the  Hudson,  and  soon  afterward  agreed  with 
the  British  general  to  surrender  it  into  his  hands.  For  four 
teen  months  the  shameful  bargaining  had  gone  on,  Arnold 
trying  to  secure  the  highest  price  for  his  treason  before  he 
took  the  last  fatal  step.  At  length  a  meeting  took  place  at 
midnight  among  the  bushes  at  the  foot  of  the  "  Long  Clove 
Mountain,"  below  Haverstraw,  where  Clinton  was  repre 
sented  by  his  adjutant-general,  Major  Andre,  a  brilliant 
young  officer.  It  was  agreed  that  the  British  should  attack 
West  Point  in  force,  and  Arnold  promised  so  to  man  the  de 
fenses  that  they  must  fall  without  a  blow. 

294.  Capture  of  Andre. — The  wicked  plot  was  foiled  by 
three  honest  countrymen,  Paulding,  Williams,  and  Van  Wart,1 
who,  in  spite  of   Arnold's  pass,  arrested  Andre2  at  Tarry- 
town,  on  his  return  to  New  York.     They  found  in  his  stock- 


ANDRE  CAPTURED. 


171 


ings  plans  of  the  works  at 
West  Point,  minutes  of  the 
garrison,  cannon,  and  stores, 


Capture  of  Andr€. 

and  an  engineer's  report  concerning  the  attack  and  defense 
of  the  place.  Refusing  Major  Andre's  offers  of  immense  re 
wards  for  his  release,  they  led  him  to  the  nearest  American 
post. 

295.  Andre's  Death  and  Arnold's  Reward. — Andre 
was  tried  by  a  court-martial  of  fourteen  general  officers,  in 
cluding  La  Fayette  and  Steuben.  Time  and  opportunity 
were  afforded  him  to  prepare  his  defense,  but  he  was  found 
guilty  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged  as  a  spy,  October  2,  1780. 
Arnold  escaped,  and  received  his  promised  reward  from  the 
British,  together  with  their  undisguised  contempt.  The  next 
year  he  appeared  with  a  marauding  force  of  British  and 


172  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Tories  in  the  Chesapeake,  burnt  Richmond,  and  ravaged  the 
Virginian  coasts.  His  native  state  of  Connecticut  suffered 
the  same  treatment  when  New  London  was  plundered  and 
burnt.  But  Englishmen  of  honor  were  unwilling  to  serve 
with  a  traitor.-  Arnold  soon  repaired  to  England,  where  he 
died,  twenty  years  after,  in  poverty  and  disgrace. 

296.  The  greatest  peril  now  arose  from  the  want  of  a 
central  government  strong  enough   to   provide  for  the  com 
mon  defense.     The  paper  money  issued  by  Congress  had 
become  so  nearly  worthless  that  a  dollar  was  worth  scarcely 
more  than  two  cents  in  coin.     Brave  as  they  were,  the  sol 
diers  of  Washington  could  not  live  without  food,  nor  escape 
disease  and  death  while  they  must  sleep  in  winter  upon  the 
frozen  ground  without  straw  or  blankets. 

297.  Mutiny  in   the   Army. — In  January,    1781,    the 
Pennsylvania  troops  at  Morristown  revolted  and  marched  to 
Princeton,  dragging  with  them  six  small  cannon.     They  had 
had  no  pay  for  a  year,  and  had  been  kept  in  service  after 
their  time,  as  they  understood  it,  had  expired.     Hearing  of 
the  mutiny,  General  Clinton  hastened  with  British  troops  to 
its  aid,   sending  his  agents  secretly  among  the  disaffected, 
and   offering   them  good   pay   and   comforts  if  they   would 
enter  his   army.     Angry   at  being  regarded  as  traitors  and 
deserters,  the  troops  at  Princeton  gave  up  the  agents  to  their 
officers  to  be  hanged  as  spies.     The  state  of  Pennsylvania 
then  came  to  the  rescue  of  its  suffering  men,  and  provided 
pay  and  clothing  for  all  who  would  continue  in  the  service. 

298.  Articles  of  a  closer  confederation  had  already 
been   signed  by   twelve   states.     Maryland  refused   to  join 
them  excepting  on  the  condition  that  the  lands  north-west 
of  the  Ohio  River  should  become  the  common  property  of 
all.     But  these  lands  were  included  in  the  chartered  limits 
of   Massachusetts,    Connecticut,    New  York,    and   Virginia, 
and   had   lately  been   conquered   from   the  British  by  Vir- 


ARTICLES  OF  CONFEDERATION.  173 

ginian  troops  (§2y8)3.  New  York,  moreover,  had  bought 
from  the  Six  Nations  all  the  lands  between  the.  Cumberland 
Mountains  and  Lake  Erie.  Not  only  were  these  claims 
irreconcilable,  but  union  was  impossible  while  the  smaller 
states  were  at  such  disadvantage  compared  with  their  rich 
and  powerful  neighbors.  Maryland,  especially,  saw  that  all 
her  present  and  possible  settlers  would  be  drawn  to  Virginia 
by  the  cheap  lands  and  light  taxes  which  that  great  com 
monwealth  could  afford. 

To  promote  union,  New  York  set  the  example  of  ceding 

all  her  western  territory  to  Congress  for  the  gen- 
March  1. 1781. 
eral  good.     Maryland  then  signed  the  articles  of 

union.  The  other  three  states  soon  afterward  yielded  up 
their  claims  to  the  government  of  the  western  territory,  but 
Connecticut  reserved  the  ownership  of  certain  lands  in  Ohio 
(§129)  partly  to  repay  her  citizens  who  had  suffered  losses 
by  Tory  raids  during  the  Revolution  (§§284,  295),  and  partly 
to  create  a  school-fund  which  still  forms  a  large  share  of  her 
provision  for  public  education.  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas 
followed  the  example  of  their  northern  sister-states  by  ced 
ing  their  lands  beyond  the  mountains  to  the  general  gov 
ernment. 

299.  The   new  confederation  was  far  from  being  a 
strong  and  efficient  government,  but  it  was  a  step  toward  a 
better  union,  and  it  inspired  greater  confidence  in  foreign 
nations   than   Congress  alone  had   been   able   to  command. 
Spain  had  already  declared  war  against  Great  Britain  at  the 
bidding  of  France,  but  she  bitterly  opposed  the  independ 
ence  of  the  United  States,  lest  their  example  should  prove 
too   tempting  to  her  own  colonies  in  America   (See  §404). 

300.  The  States  of  Holland  had  sympathized  from  the 
first  with  the  new  Republic,  whose  struggle  for  freedom  re 
called  their  own,  but  their  chief  magistrate  was  so  controlled 
by  England  that  they  could  never  venture  upon  an  Ameri- 


174 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Surrender  of  Cornwallis. 


can  alliance.  Their  governor  at  St.  Eustatius,  one  of  the 
West  India  islands,  was  nevertheless  the  first  foreign  power 
to  salute  the  flag  of  the  United  States.  England  haughtily 
demanded  an  apology,  and  the  governor  was  recalled. 

Capture  of  St.  Eustatius. — In  February,  1781,  with 
out  a  declaration  of  war,  a,  British  fleet  suddenly  appeared 
off  the  island  and  demanded  its  surrender.  The  new  gov 
ernor  was  unable  to  resist;  and  the  fort  and  all  the  shipping, 
besides  merchandise  worth  fifteen  millions  of  dollars,  fell  into 


END  OF  THE  REVOLUTION.  175 

the  hands  of  the  superior  power.  The  Dutch  flag  was  still 
kept  flying  until  seventeen  more  vessels  had  be.en  dishonor 
ably  decoyed  into  the  harbor.  All  the  Dutch  settlements  in 
South  America  were  captured  during  the  same  year,  but  St. 
Eustatius  was  retaken  by  a  French  fleet  and  restored  to  the 
Dutch  Republic. 

301.  Armed  Neutrality. — Early  in  1780  the  remaining 
European  powers  had  joined,   under  the  influence  of  Cath 
erine    the    Great,    Empress    of    Russia,    in   proclaiming    an 
"armed   neutrality."      Its   principles   were   of   great    impor 
tance  as  providing  for  the  security  of  commerce  in  time  of 
war,  and  it  deprived  England  of  allies  in  her  contest  with 
France,  Spain,  Holland,  and  America. 

302.  The   end   of   the   war  was  now  near.     After  a 
series  of  plundering  raids  through  Virginia,   Cornwallis  in 
trenched  himself  at  Yorktown,  on  the  peninsula  which  sep 
arates  the  York  from  the  James  River.     Here  he  was  soon 
surrounded  by  the  combined  French  and  American  armies 
under  Washington  and  Rochambeau,4  and  a  French  fleet 
commanded  by  Count  de  Grasse.5    The  latter  inflicted  such 
damage  upon  the  English  fleet  which  came  to  the  rescue  that 
it  sailed  away  to  New  York. 

303.  Siege  of  Yorktown. — To  the  last  moment  before 
marching  southward,  Washington  had  beguiled  Clinton  into 
the  belief  that  he  was  going  to  attack  New  York,  and  had 
thus  prevented  his  sending  any  aid  to  Cornwallis.     Night 
and  day  the  fleet  and  army  kept  up  the  bombardment  of 
Yorktown.     Washington    was    every-where,    sustaining    and 
encouraging  his  men  by  his  example,  and  French  as  well  as 
Americans  were  proud  to  serve  under  such  a  leader. 

304.  Surrender  of  Cornwallis. — On  the  ipth  of  Oc 
tober,   1781,   Cornwallis  found  himself  compelled  to  surren 
der  his  8,000  men,   with  all  his  artillery  and  stores.     The 
scene  was  one  to  be  remembered.     On  one  side  of  the  road 


1 76  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

the  French  forces  extended  more  than  a  mile  in  a  brilliant 
line;  on  the  other  were  Washington  and  his  Continentals. 
Between  these  lines  marched  the  British  and  Hessians  with 
slow  and  sullen  step.  Cornwallis  did  not  appear,  but  sent 
his  sword  by  a  subordinate.  General  Lincoln  was  appointed 
by  Washington  to  receive  it, — a  delicate  way  of  consoling 
that  officer  for  having  been  forced  to  surrender  his  own 
sword  at  Charleston  (§285). 

305.  Effect  of  the  News. — Philadelphians  first  learned 
the    good    news    from    their    watchman's    cry,     "Past    two 
o'clock,   and   Cornwallis  is  taken ! "     Early  in  the  morning 
Congress  went  in   solemn  procession   to  church,   to   render 
thanks  to  God  for  the  deliverance  of   the  nation.     In   En 
gland  as  well  as  in  America  it  was  felt  that  the  question  of 
independence  was  decided.     Lord  North6  received  the  news 
as  if  it  had  been  "a  cannon-ball  in  his  breast."     The  House 
of   Commons   voted,   March   4,    1782,   that  whoever  should 
advise  a  continuance  of  the  war  was  an  enemy  to  the  king 
and  country. 

306.  Carleton   in   New  York. — Bands  of  Tories  still 
continued  their  ravages  in  the  south,  robbing,  burning,  and 
shooting  at  their  will,  without  regard  to  any  authority.     In 
New  York  Clinton  was  superseded  by  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  a 
humane  officer,  who,  when  governor  of  Canada,  had  refused 
to  execute   the   king's    designs  by   setting  his   savage   allies 
upon  the  defenseless  farms  and  dwellings  of  the  "rebels," 
and  who  had  offered  to  receive  the  sick  soldiers  of   Mont 
gomery  and  Arnold  into  his  hospitals  with  free  permission  to 
depart  as  soon  as  they  were  well  (§247).      He  now  provided, 
at  the  king's  expense,   for  the  return  of  refugees  who  had 
been  sent  to  the  West   Indies  in  violation  of  the  terms  of 
surrender  of  Charleston,  and  tried  by  many  kind  attentions 
to  make  them  forget  the  unjust  treatment  which   they  had 
suffered. 


NOTES.  177 


307.  Preliminaries  of  Peace. — On  the  nth  of  July, 
1782,  Savannah  was  evacuated  by  the  British,  and  Charles 
ton,  during  the  following  December.      Preliminaries  of  peace 
were  signed  at  Versailles,  near  Paris,  on  the  3oth  of  Novem 
ber.7     On  the  eighth  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Lexington, 
April  19,   1783,  Washington   disbanded  his  army,  and  the 
war-worn   patriots   were  at   length   free   to   return    to   their 
homes. 

308.  Departure  of  the  British. — The  final  treaty  of 
peace8  was  signed  September  3d,  1783,  and  on  the  25th  of 
November  all  the  British  troops  in  America, — now  collected 
in  New  York, — embarked  from  the  Battery,  while  General 
Knox9  entered  the  city  on  the  north.     On  the  4th  of  De 
cember  Washington  took  leave  of  his  comrades 10  in  so  many 
perils  and  sufferings ;  and  a  few  days  later  he  resigned  his 
commission   to   Congress   in   a  speech  full  of  wisdom  and 
earnest  devotion  to  the  interests  of  his  country.     Then  he 
retired    to    well-earned    repose    upon    his    farm    at    Mount 
Vernon. 

Read  Sargent's  "Life  of  Andre;"  Spark's  "Life  of  Arnold;"  Ray 
mond's  "Women  of  the  South;"  Sabine's  "  Loyalists  of  the  American 
Revolution ; "  Washington's  Farewell  Address  to  Congress. 

NOTES. 

1.  Each  of  these  patriots  was  pensioned   for  life  by  Congress,  and 
awarded  a  medal  of  honor,  for  their  refusal  of  the  bribes  offered. 

2.  Major  John  Andre,  born  in  London,  1751,  was  adjutant-general  of 
the  British  forces  in  America,  a  brave  soldier  and  an  accomplished  gen 
tleman.    His  conduct  under  trial  was  manly,  and  he  frankly  acknowl 
edged  the  height  of  his  offense.    His  only  petition  was  that  he  might  be 
shot  instead  of  hanged.    His  remains  were  taken  to  England,  in  1821,  and 
interred  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

3.  "  Virginia,  by  virtue  of  conquests  of  her  militia,  asserted  title  as  far 
north  as  Takes  Erie  and  Michigan,  but  due  recognition  of  the  ancient 
charter  boundaries  of  the  colony  of   Connecticut  places  the  northern 
limit  of  the  cession  on  the  forty-first  parallel  of  north  latitude,  and  per 
mits  it  to  comprise  only  those  parts  of  the  states  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  and 
Illinois,  situated  south  of  that  parallel."— #.  W.  Stocking,  U.  8.  Patent  Office. 
(See  Map  No.  9.) 

4.  When  Count  D'Estaing  returned  to  France,  in  1780,  he  urged  the  gov 
ernment  to  send  a  large  body  of  troops  to  the  immediate  help  of  the 
Americans.    The  Count  de  Rochambeau  was  selected  to  command,  and 

U.  S.  H.-12. 


178  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


sailed  in  J  uly  with  6,000  men.  On  his  arrival  at  Newport  he  assured  the 
General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island  that,  "as  brethren,  not  only  rny  life, 
but  the  lives  of  my  soldiers,  are  entirely  devoted  to  the  service  of  the 
Americans  "  in  their  struggle  for  liberty.  Rochambeau  rendered  valuable 
aid  to  Washington  in  the  last  campaigns  of  the  war.  During  the  Reign 
of  Terror  in  France  he  was  imprisoned,  and  narrowly  escaped  the  guillo 
tine.  Bonaparte  appointed  him  grand  officer  of  the  Legion  of  Honor. 
His  death  occurred  in  1807. 

5.  Count  de  Grasse,  at  the  early  age  of  eleven  years,  served  with  the 
Knights  of  Malta  against  the  Moors  and  Turks.    He  entered  the  French 
navy  in  1749,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  1788,  had  attained  the  high 
rank  of  naval  lieutenant-general.    The  cooperation  of  De  Grasse  with 
Washington  and  La  Fayette,  at  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  greatly  hastened 
the  surrender  of  Cornwallis.    Afterwards  he  sailed  with  his  fleet  to  the 
West  Indies,  and  gained  some  important  victories  over  the  British. 

6.  An  irate  English  writer,  in  reviewing  the  mistakes  committed  by 
Lord  North  in  regard  to  American  affairs,  says  of  his  ministry  :  "  Such  a 
bunch  of  imbecility  never  disgraced  the  country."    Bancroft  adds :  "  Pos 
terity  has  been  towards  Lord  North  more  lenient  and  less  just.    America 
gained,  through  his  mismanagement,  independence,  and  can  bear  him 
no  grudge.    In  England  no  party  claimed  him  as  their  representative,  or 
saw  fit  to  bring  him  to  judgment;  so  that  his  scholarship,  his  unruffled 
temper,  the  purity  of  his  private  life,  and  good  words  from  Burns,  from 
Gibbon,  and  from  Macaulay  have  retained  for  him  among  his  country 
men  a  better  repute  as  minister  than  he  deserved." 

7.  The  American  commissioners  were  Jay,  Franklin,  Adams,  and  Lau- 
rens;   the  English  were  Strachey,  Oswald,  and  Fitzherbert.    When  the 
articles  were  signed,  many  friends  surrounded  Franklin  to  offer  him  con 
gratulations.    Rochefoucauld  threw  his  arms  around  his  neck  and  kissed 
him.    Franklin  was  overcome  with  joy,  and  exclaimed,  "  My  friend, 
could  I  have  hoped  at  such  an  age  to  have  enjoyed  so  great  happiness?  " 

8.  This  treaty  was  signed  at  Fontainebleau,  nearly  forty  miles  from 
Paris,  and  was  merely  a  ratification  of  the  preliminary  treaty  made  at 
Versailles. 

9.  Major-general  Henry  Knox  (born  in  Boston,  1750,  and  died  in 
Thomaston,  Maine,  1806)  was  the  most  noted  artillerist  of  the  Revolution. 
He  was  aid  to  General  Ward  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  where  his 
bravery   was   conspicuous.     At   Princeton,  Brandywine,  Germautown, 
Monmouth,  and  many  other  of  the  hottest  battles  of  the  war,  Knox 
directed  the  American  artillery  with  wonderful  effect.    He  was  in  the 
heaviest  cannonading  to  the  last  at  Yorktown.    In  1785  he  was  appointed 
Secretary  of  War  and  of  the  Navy.    He  was  chosen  by  President  Wash 
ington  as  his  first  Secretary  of  War  (§321),  and  remained  in  his  Cabinet 
for  six  years,  when  he  retired  from  public  life  to  the  quiet  of  a  farm  in 
Maine. 

10.  Washington's  words  on  this  occasion  were  few,  but  full  of  feeling 
and  affection.    He  said  to  his  fellow-officers :  "  With  a  heart  full  of  love 
and  gratitude  I  now  take  leave  of  you.    I  most  devoutly  wish  that  your 
latter  days  may  be  as  prosperous  and  happy  as  your  former  ones  have 
been  glorious  and  honorable.    I  can  not  come  to  each  of  you  to  take  my 
leave,  but  shall  be  obliged  to  you  if  each  will  come  and  take  me  by  the 
hand."    Tears  moistened  the  cheeks  of  many  of  these  strong  men.    Gen 
eral  Knox  was  the  first  to  grasp  the  great  commander's  hand.    All  the 
others  followed;  and  Washington,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  times, 
kissed  each  brave  soldier  in  turn  as  he  came  to  bid  adieu. 

Before  separating,  the  officers  formed  themselves  into  a  friendly  society 
called  the  Cincinnati,  in  memory  of  the  noble  Roman,  Cinchmatus,  who 
quitted  his  plow  to  serve  his  country  in  war,  and  returned  to  his  peaceful 
pursuits  as  soon  as  the  victory  was  won. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW.  — PART  III. 


Section 

1.  Name  some  of  the  causes  of  the  American  Revo 

lution.  215-224 

2.  What  resistance  was  made  to  the  Navigation  Laws?  225,  226 

3.  Describe  the  causes  and  effects  of  the  Boston  Tea 

Party.  227-229 

4.  Name  the  several   steps   toward  union  of  the  1         97,  140,  146, 

colonies.  J  230,  298 

5.  What  was  done   by   the   First   Continental   Con 

gress?  230,  231 

6.  What  by  the  Second?  234,235 

7.  Describe  the  first  battle  of  the  Revolution.  232,  233 

8.  What  did  Englishmen  think  of  the  war  ?  236 

9.  Describe  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  238-240 

10.  Describe  Washington's  army.  241 

11.  What  were  the  "Mecklenburg  Resolutions?"  242 

12.  How  was  Kentucky  founded  ?  243 

13.  How  did  King  George  III.  prepare  for  war?  244 

14.  What  was  done  by  Americans  to  prevent  Canadian 

attacks?  237,  245-247* 

15.  How   was   Boston    relieved    and    Charleston    de 

fended?  248,  249 

1 6.  By  what  acts  were   the  colonies  separated   from 

England  ?  250 

17.  What  changes  were  made  in  the  several  colonies  ?  251 

18.  What  occurred  near  and  in  New  York?  252-257 

19.  What   in  the  Jerseys  ?  258-260 

20.  What  foreigners  enlisted  under  Washington  ?  261,269 

21.  Describe  Burgoyne's  campaign  in  1777.  262-266 

22.  Describe  Washington's  winter  at  Valley.  Forge.  267,  268 

23.  What  led  to  the  French  alliance  ?  270 

24.  How  long  was  Philadelphia  held  by  the  British  ?  263,  272 

25.  Describe  the  attack  on  Newport.  273 

26.  Describe  the  Indian  massacres  of  1778,  and  their 

punishment.  274-276 

(179) 


i8o 


HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


Section 

27. 

Describe  Clarke's  campaign  in  the  West. 

277-279 

28. 

What  was  done  in  Carolina  and  Georgia  ? 

280,  28l 

29. 

What  posts  on  the  Hudson  were  retaken  in  1779? 

282 

30. 

Tell  something  of  Captain  Paul  Jones. 

283 

31- 

Describe  the  campaign  of  1780  in  the  South. 

285-291 

32. 

Tell  the  story  of  Arnold's  treason. 

292-295 

33- 

What  induced  the  colonies  to  make  a  closer  union? 

296-299 

34- 

What  part  did  European  nations  take  toward  En 

gland  ? 

299,  301 

35- 

Describe  the  last  campaign  of  Cornwallis  in  America. 

302-305 

36. 

What  can  you  say  of  Carleton  ? 

306 

37- 

What  were  the  terms  of  peace  ? 

307,  308 

_ 

1232, 

239,  249, 

253, 

259,  263, 

38- 

Name,    in   review,    the   principal   battles  of    the 

265, 

266,  272, 

Revolution. 

278, 

282,  285, 

288, 

289,  291, 

303- 

39- 

What  British  generals  were  successively  in  chief 

1   232, 

240,  272, 

command  ? 

1   288, 

306. 

]    241, 

257,  265, 

40. 

Who  were  the  principal  American  commanders? 

\  281, 

282,  286, 

J   288. 

41- 

What    representatives   were   sent   by    the    United 

States  to  France  ? 

270 

42. 

What  can  you  say  of   the  naval  actions  of    the 

Revolution  ? 

273, 

283,  302 

43- 

What  states  had  claims  to  western  lands,  and  what 

disposal  was  made  of  those  claims? 

298 

PART   IV.— GROWTH   OF   THE   UNITED 
STATES. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

ADOPTION   OF   THE   CONSTITUTION. 

309.  By  the  terms  of  the  Treaty  of  Versailles  the 

United  States  extended  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Mississippi, 
being  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Great  Lakes  and  the 
St.  Lawrence,  on  the  east  by  the  St.  Croix  River,  and  on 
the  south  by  Florida. 

The  difficulties  and  dangers  which  followed  the  return  of 
peace,  were  almost  as  great  as  those  of  the  war.  The 
nation,  as  such,  was  penniless  and  loaded  with  debt;  its 
armies  were  unpaid  for  the  services  to  which  it  owed  its 
very  existence ;  and  though  there  was  immense  wealth  in  the 
soil  and  mines,  years  of  peaceful  industry  were  needed  to 
bring  it  to  light. 

310.  There  was   no  general  government,  for  the 

Articles  of  Confederation  (§298)  had  proved  inadequate  to 
the  purpose  for  which  they  were  framed.  The  several  states 
had  adopted  republican  constitutions;  but  whether  these 
thirteen  republics  were  to  exist  as  so  many  separate  nations, 
or  to  be  united  under  a  monarchy  or  in  a  federal  league,  no 
man  knew.  In  the  summer  of  1782  the  unpaid  soldiers  had 
listened  to  the  proposal  of  some  ambitious  officers  that  they 
should  set  up  Washington  as  their  king.  The  great  general 
crushed  the  plot  as  soon  as  it  came  to  his  knowledge,  and 

(181) 


1 82  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

proved  his  hold  upon  the  affection  of  his  men  by  keeping 
them  in  order  and  obedience  during  the  trying  year,  while 
he  was  urging  upon  Congress  their  just  demands.  Instead 
of  the  half-pay  for  life,  to  which  officers  were  entitled,  he 
secured  to  them  a  sum  equal  to  five  years'  full  pay, — a 
necessary  provision  for  those  whose  private  fortunes  had 
been  ruined  by  the  war. 

311.  The   Indians  were  still  hostile  along  the  western 
border.     Among  the  first  acts  of  the  United  States  as  an  in 
dependent  power  was  a  treaty   at   Fort   Pitt  with  the  Dela- 
wares,   admitting  their  just  claim   to  their  lands  until   they 
chose  to  sell  them.     In  1784  peace  was  made  with  the  Iro- 
quois  by  a  grand  council  at  Fort  Stanwix,  now  Rome,  New 
York,    and  within   six   years   similar   treaties  were  arranged 
with  all  the  tribes  to  the  southward.      Mutual  forgiveness  of 
injuries  was  promised,  and  peace  was  restored. 

312.  The   "treaty  rights"  thus  conceded  have  been  the 
basis  of  all  official  dealings  with  the  natives  of  the  far  west; 
but,   unhappily,   Indian  agents  have  sometimes  cared  more 
for  their  own  gains  than  for  the  honor  of  their  government, 
and  some  private  citizens  have  acted  toward  the  barbarians 
with  reckless  cruelty  and  fraud. 

313.  Movements  toward   Union. — The  jealousies  al 
ready  existing  among  the  states  grew  deeper  and  more  vio 
lent  with  every  year  of  their  separate  existence.     At  length 
the  legislature  of  Virginia  invited  all  the  other  states  to  join 
her  in  a  convention   to   agree  upon  a  much-needed   system 
of   commercial   intercourse.     Only  five  states   accepted  the 
invitation,    but   their   delegates   at  Annapolis,    in    1786,   ad 
vised  Congress  to  call  a  general  assembly  to  revise  the  Ar 
ticles  of  Confederation. 

314.  The   Constituent  Convention. — This  body  met 
in  Philadelphia,  May  25,   1787,  and  was  found  to  comprise 
delegates  from  all  the  states  excepting  Rhode  Island.     Never 


THE  FEDERAL   CONSTITUTION.  183 


was  more  important  work  committed  to  human  hands. 
Other  nations  have  had  their  constitutions  gradually  shaped 
by  circumstances  through  a  course  of  centuries : — for  the 
first  time  in  the  world's  history  four  millions  of  people  were, 
by  their  representatives,  to  choose  a  government  for  them 
selves. 

315.  Washington  was  President  of  the  Conven 
tion,  and  with  him  sat  some  of  the  wisest  and  best  states 
men   that   America   or   the  world   has  known.     There  was 
Franklin,  now  more  than  eighty   years  old,   who  had   done 
invaluable  service  to  his  country   in   England   and   France, 
and  whose  practical  wisdom  made  him   one  of  the   ablest 
founders  of  the  Constitution;  there  was  Robert  Morris,1  the 
financier  who  had  supplied  the  sinews  of   war  by  his  own 
unquestioned  credit;  there  were  Hamilton,  and  Livingston,2 
and  Madison,  who  by  their  profound  study  of  English  law 
had  learned  to  apply  universal  principles  of  truth  and  jus 
tice  to  the  needs  of  a  free  people. 

316.  Differences  of  Opinion. — It  was  soon  found  that 
there  were  two  parties  in  the  convention.     One  desired  to 
merge  all  the  states  in  one  indivisible  republic,  the  other  to 
keep  the  mutual  independence  of  the  thirteen,  only  uniting 
them  in  a  league  for  commerce  and  other  special  purposes. 

317.  The  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  as  re 
ported  after  four  months  earnest  discussion,  sought  to  recon 
cile  these  two  extremes.     It  recognized  the  sovereignty  of 
each  state  over  its  own  local  affairs,   but  committed  to   the 
Federal  government  the  care  of  all  matters  which  concerned 
the  nation  as  a  whole,   such  as  coinage,   postal  service,   the 
maintenance  of  army  and  navy,    forts,   arsenals,   and  mag 
azines   for  the   common   defense,    and  the  making  of   war, 
peace,  or  alliances  with  foreign  powers.    (See  p.  363.) 

The  law-making  power  was  vested  in  a  Congress  consisting 
of  a  Senate  and  a  House  of  Representatives.  Every  state 
is  entitled  to  two  senators  appointed  by  its  own  legislature : 


1 84  HISTORY  OF   THE   UNITED  STATES. 

the  number  of  representatives  from  each  state,  chosen  di 
rectly  by  the  voters,  depends  upon  its  population. 

The  executive  power  was  intrusted  to  a  President,  chosen 
by  electors  in  all  the  states,  for  a  term  of  four  years.  He, 
with  the  concurrence  of  the  Senate,,  appoints  embassadors, 
consuls,  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  the  members  of 
his  own  Cabinet,  and  gives  commissions  to  officers  in  the 
army  and  navy. 

The  judicial  power  was  vested  in  a  Supreme  Court  and 
such  inferior  courts  as  Congress  might  establish. 

318.  Opinions  of  the  Constitution. — A  great  English 
statesman  of  our  own  time  (Mr.  Gladstone3)  has  pronounced 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  to  be  "  the  most  won 
derful  work  ever  struck  off  at  a  given  time  by  the  brain  and 
purpose  of  man."     Washington  wrote  of  it :  "It  appears  to 
me  little  short  of  a  miracle  that  the  delegates  from  so  many 
states,   different  from  each  other  in  their  manners,   circum 
stances,  and  prejudices,  should  unite  in  forming  a  system  of 
national  government  so  little  liable  to  well-founded  objec 
tions It  is  provided  with  more  checks  and  barriers 

against  the  introduction   of   tyranny  than   any  government 
hitherto  instituted  among  mortals."      Should  it    "be   found 
less  perfect  than  it  can  be  made,   a  constitutional  door  is 
left  open  for  its  amelioration." 

319.  Adopted  by  the  States. — The  constitution  thus 
framed,  was  submitted  to  the  people,  who  in  each  state  chose 
delegates  to  consider  and  pronounce  upon  it.     After  severe 
discussion,  in  which  Hamilton,  Madison,  Jay,4  and  Patrick 
Henry5  took  a  leading   part,   it  was  accepted  ultimately  by 
all  the  states.     On  the  first  Wednesday  in  January,  1789,  the 
first  general  election  was  held  under  the  Constitution.     A 
month   later  the  electors  met,   and   George    Washington*  was 
chosen  to  be  the  first  President  of  the  United  States  without 
one    dissenting   voice.    John  Adams ?   of    Massachusetts,    re- 


WASHINGTON  MADE  PRESIDENT. 


185 


Inauguration  of  Washington. 

ceived  the  next  greatest  number  of  votes  and  was  declared 
Vice-president. 

320.  Washington's  Inauguration. — Washington's  jour 
ney  to  New  York,  then  the  seat  of  government,  was  like 
a  triumphal  progress.  Crowds  attended  him;  young  girls 
clothed  in  white  scattered  flowers  along  his  way.  The  oath 
of  office  was  administered  by  Chancellor  Livingston,7  of 
New  York,  on  the  balcony  of  the  senate-house,  in  the  pres 
ence  of  throngs  of  people,  who  rilled  the  street,  the  windows, 


1 86  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

and  the  roofs  of  surrounding  buildings.  And  when  Washing 
ton's  voice  was  heard  in  acceptance  of  the  pledge  to  '  *  pre 
serve,  protect,  and  defend  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,"  every  one  felt  that  the  new  Republic  was  safe. 

NOTES. 

1.  Robert  Morris  (6. 1734,  d.  1806),  "the  patriot  financier,"  was  an  En 
glishman  by  birth.    He  emigrated  to  Philadelphia  when  thirteen  years 
old,  and  there  commenced  a  wonderfully  successful  business  career.    He 
was  a  man  of  immense  fortune  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution, 
and  his  credit  was  better  than  that  of  Congress.    In  1781  he  was  made 
superintendent  of  finance,  and  during  that  year  he  supplied  all  the  wants 
of  the  army  in  the  expedition  against  Cornwallis.    To  do  this  Morris  was 
compelled  to  give  his  own  notes,  which  were  all  paid,  to  the  amount  of 
$1,400,000.    He  superintended  the  affairs  of  the  navy,  and  sent  out  many 
privateers  on  his  own  account,  which  proved  very  efficient.    In  1781  he 
established  the  "  Bank  of  North  America,"  which  helped  in  a  large  meas 
ure  to  relieve  the  embarrassments  of  the  government.    During  the  hard 
winter  at  Valley  Forge,  he  sent  as  a  gift  to  the  army  a  ship-load  of  cloth 
ing  and  provisions. 

When  quite  an  old  man  Morris  lost  all  his  large  fortune  in  a  land  spec 
ulation,  and  passed  the  last  years  of  his  life  a  prisoner  for  debt. 

2.  "William  Livingston  (&.  1723,  d.  1790)  was  one  of  the  large  family 
which  has  contributed  a  number  of  celebrities  to  American  history.    He 
was  born  in  New  York  and  educated  at  Yale  College.    He  studied  law,  and 
soon  became  eminent  in  his  profession.    In  1776  he  was  made  governor  of 
New  Jersey,  and  held  the  position  until  his  death. 

3.  "William  Ewart  Gladstone  is  the  most  prominent  statesman  of 
England  at  the  present  day.    He  is  the  son  of  a  wealthy  merchant,  and 
was  born  at  Liverpool  in  1809.    He  took  the  highest  possible  honor  at 
Christ  Church  College,  Oxford,  where  he  graduated  in  1831,  and  shortly 
after  this  he  entered   Parliament.     He  has  several   times  been  made 
premier,  and  holds  that  position  at  present  (1883). 

4.  John  Jay  (6.  1745,  d,  1829)  was  one  of  the  most  celebrated  statesmen 
of  his  time.    He  was  of  French  descent,  and  was  born  in  New  York.    In 
1764  he  graduated  at  King's  (Columbia)  College,  and  then  commenced  the 
study  of  law,  pursuing  his  profession  until  the  disturbances  with  the 
mother-country,  when  he  became  deeply  interested  in  the  questions  at 
issue.    He  was  very  moderate  in  his  views  as  to  resistance,  but  his  counsel 
was  usually  wise,  and  he  soon  became  prominent  as  a  politician.    In  the 
provincial  congress  of  New  York,  and  in  both  continental  congresses,  he 
took  an  active  part,  and  was  a  member  of  most  of  the  important  com 
mittees  appointed.    The  constitution  of  the  state  of  New  York  is  mainly 
his  work.    In  1778  he  was  president  of  the  national  congress,  and  the  fol 
lowing  year  he  was  appointed  minister  to  Spain.    At  the  close  of  the 
Revolution  he  was  one  of  five  commissioners  appointed  to  negotiate  the 
treaty  with  Great  Britain,  but  the  entire  work  fell  upon  Jay  and  Franklin. 
After  his  return  to  America  he  was  appointed  secretary  of  foreign  affairs. 
Washington,  when  elected  president,  offered  him  his  choice  of  office,  and 
Jay  chose  that  of  Chief-justice  of  the  United  States,  being  the  first  to  hold 
the  position.    Although  Jay's  treaty  of  1794  (§331)  with  England  created 
such  excitement  in  this  country,  yet  time  proved  the  wisdom  of  its  con 
ditions.    On  his  return  from  negotiating  this  treaty  he  was  elected  gov 
ernor  of  New  York,  and  held  the  office  for  six  years.    He  was  urged  to 
stand  for  another  term  but  declined  to  do  so ;  he  also  refused  the  appoint 
ment  to  his  previous  position  of  chief-justice,  and  retired  to  his  estate  in 
Westchester  County,  where  he  quietly  passed  the  remaining  twenty -eight 
years  of  his  life. 


NOTES.  187 


5.  Patrick  Henry  (§230  and  Note)   objected  mainly  to  the  first  three 
words,  "  We.  the  People,"  insisting  that  the  convention  was  called  only 
to  form  an  alliance  of  states.    Virginia  ratified  the  constitution,  however, 
with  the  full  understanding  that  it  united  all  the  people  of  all  the  states 
under  one  government. 

6.  George  Washington  (6.  February  22d,  1732,  d.  December  14th,  1799). 
Little  or  nothing  is  actually  known  of  Washington's  ancestors  in  En 
gland.    His  great-grandfather,  John  Washington,  emigrated  to  Virginia 
in  1657,  and  served  as  a  colonel  in  the  early  Indian  wars.    George's  father 
died  when  he  was  eleven  years  old,  so  that  his  education  and  training 
devolved  upon  his  mother.    She  was  a  woman  of  noble  character,  and,  as 
events  proved,  was  fully  equal  to  the  task.    All  through  Washington's  life 
we  note  the  deep  love  and  respect  that  he  bore  her,  and  to  her  influence, 
no  doubt,  is  due  the  development  of  many  of  his  admirable  character 
istics. 

As  a  boy  Washington  was  very  fond  of  out-door  sports,  and  it  was  his 
great  delight  to  organize  his  boy  friends  into  a  soldier  company  and  drill 
them.  His  attendance  at  school  was  from  necessity  quite  limited  ;  how 
ever,  he  was  a  good  mathematician,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  had  thor 
oughly  fitted  himself  as  a  practical  surveyor.  One  of  Washington's  early 
friends  was  Lord  Fairfax,  an  eccentric  Englishman,  who  owned  an  im 
mense  estate  in  Virginia.  He  employed  Washington  to  survey  this  land, 
and  while  engaged  in  this  work,  shut  off  from  civilization  and  compelled 
to  undergo  numerous  hardships,  he  learned  many  lessons  that  afterward 
proved  useful  to  him. 

When  Governor  Dinwiddie  arrived  in  Virginia  he  appointed  Washing 
ton,  with  the  rank  of  major,  over  one  of  the  four  military  districts  into 
which  he  divided  the  colony.  It  was  at  this  time,  and  when  only  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  that  Washington  was  dispatched  on  his  mission  to 
Veriango  (|  176).  The  soundness  of  his  judgment  was  shown  on  that  expe 
dition,  and  disregard  of  his  advice  was  followed  by  disaster  to  Braddock's 
expedition. 

•  When  called  upon  to  take  command  of  the  army  of  the  United  States, 
he  replied  with  his  usual  modesty  :  "  Though  I  am  truly  sensible  of  the 
high  honor  done  me  in  this  appointment,  yet  I  feel  great  distress  from  a 
consciousness  that  my  abilities  and  military  experience  may  not  be 
equal  to  the  extensive  and  important  trust."  His  generosity  and  devoted 
patriotism  are  also  shown  in  another  passage  of  this  same  reply :  "  As  to 
pay,  sir,  I  beg  leave  to  assure  Congress  that  as  no  pecuniary  consideration 
could  have  tempted  me  to  accept  the  arduous  employment  at  the  expense 
of  my  domestic  ease  and  happiness,  I  do  not  wish  to  make  any  profit 
from  it.  I  will  keep  an  exact  account  of  my  expenses.  Those,  I  doubt 
not,  they  will  discharge,  and  that  is  all  I  desire."  At  this  time  Washing 
ton  was  forty-three  years  old.  He  had  married  Mrs.  Martha  Custis,  a 
wealthy  young  widow,  in  1759,  and  being  heir  himself  to  large  estates,  he 
had  devoted  himself  to  agriculture  and  the  improvement  of  his  property. 
He  was  naturally  domestic,  but  at  his  country's  call  cheerfully  gave  up 
his  home  circle,  arid  risked  his  property  and  his  life.  His  success  is  re 
markable  when  we  consider  the  material  and  resources  at  his  command 
as  compared  with  those  of  the  enemy,  and  his  own  lack  of  experience  in 
handling  large  bodies  of  troops.  More  wonderful,  however,  was  his  in 
domitable  courage  and  perseverance  in  the  face  of  every  discouragement, 
on  the  part  of  the  people,  congress,  and  jealous  generals. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Washington  looked  eagerly  for  a  renewal  of  his 
domestic  life,  but  again  heroically  sacrificed  his  private  desires  for  his 
country's  good  in  accepting  the  presidency.  As  a  president  Washington 
was  frequently  criticised  for  his  aristocratic  tendencies,  but  he  earnestly 
defended  himself  from  cavils  which  in  the  light  of  the  present  day  seem 
beneath  his  notice. 

Retiring  at  the  close  of  his  second  administration,  he  once  more  re 
sumed  the  quiet  round  of  plantation  life.  Mount  Vernon  had  now 
grown  to  an  estate  of  eight  thousand  acres,  half  of  which  was  under  cul 
tivation,  and  was  worked  by  some  two  hundred  arid  fifty  slaves.  When  at 
home  Washington  personally  superintended  his  affairs  and  kept  his  own 
books.  During  his  entire  absence  he  had  an  exact  report  of  each  week's 
transactions  sent  to  him  by  mail. 

Virginia  presented  Washington  with  canal  stock  valued  at  $60,000  in 
return  for  his  services  to  the  state  and  nation.  This  he  accepted,  but  only 


1 88  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


to  endow  two  institutions  of  learning,-a  college  at  Lexington,  Va.,  now 
called  the  "  Washington  and  Lee  University,"  and  a  university  at  the 
capital  of  the  United  States. 

In  appearance  Washington  was  of  commanding  presence.  He  was  six 
feet  and  two  inches  tall,  broad  shouldered,  and  muscular.  His  face  was 
unusually  calm  and  dignified  in  expression,  and  his  manner  was  formal. 
In  private,  however,  he  was  gracious,  and  even  genial,  especially  with  the 
young. 

While  taking  his  usual  ride  over  the  plantation,  during  the  morning  of 
the  twelfth  of  December,  1799,  he  was  caught  in  a  cold  storm  of  rain 
and  sleet.  Returning  home  after  two  or  three  hours'  exposure  to  this 
weather,  he  sat  down  to  dine  without  cli/mging  his  clothes.  The  second 
day  following  he  was  attacked  with  "acute  laryngitis,"  a  disease  of  the 
throat  not  then  understood,  and  died  within  twenty -four  hours.  Europe 
vied  with  America  in  mourning  his  loss  and  eulogizing  his  name.  Gen 
eral  Henry  Lee,  of  Virginia,  at  the  request  of  Congress,  pronounced  his 
funeral  oration,  using  the  memorable  words,  "  First  in  war,  first  in  peace, 
and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen." 

7.  Bobert  R.  Livingston  (6. 1746,  d.  1813)  was  a  cousin  of  William  Liv 
ingston,  mentioned  above.  He  graduated  at  King's  College,  and  adopted 
the  profession  of  law.  When  a  delegate  to  the  second  continental  con 
gress  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  committee  of  five  to  draft  the  Declara 
tion  of  Independence.  He  held  many  important  political  offices,  and 
was  the  first  chancellor  of  the  state  of  New  York.  Through  him  as  min 
ister-plenipotentiary  the  territory  of  Louisiana  was  purchased  from 
France.  He  did  much  for  the  improvement  of  agriculture  in  New  York, 
and  assisted  Fulton  in  his  early  experiments  in  steam  navigation  (§  303). 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

FIRST  AND  SECOND  ADMINISTRATIONS,   A.   D.    1789-1797. 

George  Washington,  President.  John  Adams,    Vice-president. 

321.  Washington's    Cabinet    consisted    of   Thomas 
Jefferson,   Secretary  of   State;    Alexander  Hamilton,1  Secre 
tary  of  the  Treasury;  Henry  Knox,  Secretary  of  War;  and 
Edmund   Randolph,2   Attorney-general.     John  Jay  was  ap 
pointed  Chief-justice  of  the  United  States. 

322.  Hamilton's   great   financial   ability    soon  established 
confidence  and  prosperity  in  commercial  affairs.     The  gen 
eral  government  assumed  the  war  debts  of  the  several  states, 
and  declared  its  intention  to  redeem  all  the  continental  paper 
money  at  its  full  value.     This  was  a  severe  test  of  public 
honor,  for  the  greater  part  of  this  paper  was  in  the  hands 
of  speculators,  who  had  bought  it  for  almost  nothing  from 
the  starving  veterans  of  the  Revolution;  and  Congress  had 
been   forced   to  issue  immensely   greater   quantities  of  this 
currency  than  would  have  been  needed  if  it  had  been  worth 
its  nominal  value.     Nevertheless  the  new  nation  was  not  to 
begin  its  existence  by  breaking  its  promises. 

323.  The  Bank  of  the  United  States  was  established 
at  Philadelphia,   and  there,   also,  the  national  mint  was  set 
up.     Taxes  were  imposed  on  imports  of  foreign  goods,  and 
on  the  manufacture  of  distilled  liquors. 

In  1790  the  seat  of  government  was  placed  for  ten 
years  at  Philadelphia,  and  a  tract  of  land  ten  miles  square 
on  either  side  of  the  Potomac,  which  was  ceded  to  the 
United  States  by  Maryland  and  Virginia,  was  adopted  by 
Congress  as  the  site  of  the  future  capital.  Washington  him- 

(189) 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


self  selected  a  site  for  the 
city  which  was  to  bear  his 
name,  and  laid  the  corner 
stone  of  the  Capitol  in  1793. 

324.  The   North-west 
ern  Territory. — The  most 


July,  1787. 


Crossing  the  Alleghanies. 

important  act  of  the  last  Continental  Congress  had  been  the 
organizing  of  a  settled  government  for  the  territory  north  of 
the  Ohio  River.  It  was,  in  fact,  ' '  the  most  not 
able  law  ever  enacted  by  representatives  of  the 
American  people,"  and,  to  insure  its  perpetual  enforcement, 
it  was  not  left  as  a  mere  act  of  Congress,  which  could  be 
repealed  at  a  subsequent  session,  but  its  six  main  provisions 
were  made  articles  of  a  solemn  compact  between  the  inhab 
itants  of  the  territory,  present  and  to  come,  and  the  people 
of  the  thirteen  states.  No  man  was  to  be  restricted  of  his 


SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  NORTH-WEST.  191 

liberty  excepting  as  a  punishment  for  crime;  life,  property, 
and  religious  freedom  were  protected  by  just  and  equal  laws. 
A  clause,  which  several  western  states  have  copied  in  their 
constitutions,  declared  that  ' '  Religion,  morality,  and  knowl 
edge  being  necessary  to  good  government,  schools  and  the 
means  of  education  shall  forever  be  encouraged."  To  this 
end  one  section  in  every  township  was  set  apart  for  the 
support  of  common  schools,  and  two  entire  townships  for  the 
establishment  of  a  university.  Ohio  University,  at  Athens, 
arose  from  this  foundation,  and  was  the  first  college  west  of 
the  Alleghanies. 

325.  The   Ohio   Company. — In   consequence   of   this 
liberal  constitution,  which  was  partly  suggested  by  himself, 
Doctor    Cutler,3    of    Massachusetts,    as    agent    of    the    new 
"Ohio  Company,"  bought  of  Congress  a  million  and  a  half 
acres  of  land  on   the   Ohio   and   Scioto  rivers.     For  other 
adventurers  Doctor  Cutler  purchased  four  millions  of  acres 
more.     The  whole  vast  territory  was  then  known  as  ' '  The 
Wilderness,"  and  contained  no  white  inhabitants  excepting 
a  few  French  settlers  on  its  western  and  northern  borders. 
Attracted  by  the  fertile  soil  and  the  assurance  of  good  gov 
ernment,    industrious   emigrants   soon   thronged  to   the   new 
country,  and  the  five  states4  formed  from  the  North-western 
Territory  now  contain  one  fourth  of  all  the  population  of  the 
United  States.     General  St.   Clair,5  who  was  President  of 
Congress  at  the  time  of  the  passing  of  the  ordinance,  be 
came  the  first  governor  of  the  territory,   and  took   up  his 
residence  at  Marietta,  the  first  town  on  the  Ohio. 

326.  The    Indians    on   the    Miami   and   Wabash 
rivers  made  frequent  attacks  upon  the  white  settlements, 
being  supplied  with  powder  and  guns  from  forts  which  the 
British   still   held,    contrary   to   treaty,    in   the  heart   of   the 
country.     Several   expeditions  against  these  tribes  were  re 
pulsed  with  great  slaughter;   even  the  one  led  in  person  by 
Governor  St.  Clair  ended  in  surprise  and  disgrace.     General 


192  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Wayne,— the  "Mad  Anthony"  of  the  Revolution, — had 
better  success.  Having  defeated  the  savages  on  the  Mau- 
mee,  he  so  laid  waste  their  country  that  they  were  glad  to 
buy  peace  by  retiring  west  of  the  Wabash. 

327.  Whisky  Rebellion. — The  whisky  tax  created  great 
discontent   in   the    Monongahela  Valley,    where    the    article 
was    largely    manufactured,    and    the    spirit   of    revolt    was 
increased  by  artful  men  who  wished  to  overthrow  all  laws. 
The  rebellion  made  such  headway  that  the  President  called 
out  15,000  militia  to  suppress  it,  and  himself  conducted  the 
citizen-army  as  far  as  Fort  Cumberland,     There  he  gave  the 
command  to  General  Lee, — formerly  "Light  Horse  Harry," 
now  governor  of  Virginia, — who  marched  into  the  western 
counties  of   Pennsylvania.      But   no    fighting   was   needed ; 
overawed  by  this  spirited  policy,  the  rioters  laid  down  their 
arms  and  asked  pardon  from  the  government. 

328.  During   the   storm   of    the    French    Revolution, 
which  was  now   in  progress,   Washington  and   his   advisers 
had  a  most  difficult  part  to  play.     La  Fayette,   one  of  the 
first  and  warmest  friends  of   American  freedom,   was  for  a 
little   time   a  leader  of  the   popular  movement   in    France. 
Our  people  were  strongly   inclined  to   sympathize  with  the 
French  in  their  resistance  to  a  despotism   far  more  galling 
than   that    of    England   to   her   colonies;    and  when   Great 
Britain,  with  other  European  nations,  took  up  arms  to  force 
the   restoration  of  kings   in   France,   some  ardent  spirits  in 
America  were  eager  to  plunge  into  war  and  pay  our  debt  of 
gratitude  by  helping  to  gain  for  our  comrades  in  arms  the 
same  blessings  which  we  were  enjoying. 

329.  But  when  the  Reign  of  Terror  in  France  had  de 
stroyed  the  very  freedom  whose  name  it  invoked,  and  shed 
torrents  of  innocent  blood,  wiser  people  were  alarmed,  and 
thought  even  tyranny  more  endurable  than    such  mad  vio 
lence.     Besides,   we  had   England  on  our  north   and   east, 


JAY'S  TREATY  WITH  ENGLAND.  193 

Spain  on  our  south  and  west,  stirring  up  the  Indians  to 
fierce  warfare,  while  English  ships  commanded  our  eastern 
ports.  Beside  all  these  foes,  the  pirate  states  of  the  Med 
iterranean  were  preying  upon  all  the  commerce  of  Christen 
dom,  and  hundreds  of  American  citizens  were  toiling  as 
slaves  under  the  burning  sun  of  Algiers  and  Morocco. 

330.  Great  Britain  still  held  Mackinaw,  Detroit,  Niag 
ara,   Oswego,   and  several   other  forts  on  our  frontier,   and 
gave  still   greater  offense  during  her  war  with    France   by 
seizing  American  ships  and  forcing  their  sailors  to  serve  on 
board  her  own  vessels.     On  the  other  hand   English  mer 
chants  complained   that   they  could   not   collect   debts   due 
them  in  America.     In  some  cases  many  years'  interest  was 
claimed  on  money  due  before   the   Revolution,   while  Con 
gress  insisted  that  the  British  government,  having  made  pay 
ment  impossible,  was  responsible  for  the  delay. 

331.  Jay's  Treaty. — To  arrange  all  these  matters  John 
Jay  was  sent  as  minister  to  London,  and  there  negotiated  a 
treaty  which  settled  most  of  the  points  in  dispute  excepting 
the  "right  of  search."     King  George  agreed  to  pay  for  the 
losses   inflicted   on   American  merchant-ships  by   his   priva 
teers,  and  to  vacate  the  western  forts  (§326)  which,  with  or 
without  authority  from  him,  had  kept  alive  Indian  hostilities 
against   our   pioneers   in    the  new    territory.     On  the  other 
hand,    Congress  provided   for   the   payment  of  our  English 
debts.     The  treaty  was  received  with  a  storm  of  opposition 
by  those  Americans  who  cherished  a  bitter  hatred  against 
England,    and   wished   success   to   the   French    Revolution, 
which  she  was  fighting  to  put  down.     The  greatest  abuse 
fell  upon   Washington   himself,    who  was   even   accused  of 
overdrawing  his  salary6  as   President,   and  threatened  with 
impeachment !     Nevertheless,  he  persevered  in  what  seemed 
to    him    the    course   of    duty,    and   in    concurrence    with   a 
majority  of  the  Senate  ratified  Mr.  Jay's  agreements. 

U.  S.  H.-13. 


194  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

332.  Citizen   Genet.7 — Presuming   upon   the   gratitude 
and  affection  of  our  countrymen  toward  France,  her  envoy, 
"Citizen  Genet,"  who  had  landed  at  Charleston,   enlisted 
troops  and  fitted  out  privateers  from  the  southern  states  be 
fore  even  presenting  himself  at  the  seat  of  government.     A 
large   party   of   American,  citizens   sustained   him,    and   de 
manded  a  declaration  of  war  against  Great  Britain.     Wash 
ington  firmly  resisted  this  wild  policy,  and  soon  Genet  was 
recalled.     He   chose,  however,   to   remain   in   this   country, 
and  became  a  citizen  of  the  United  States. 

333.  Two  political  parties  now  became  clearly  divided. 
The   Federalists,  with   Washington  at   their  head,   stood  by 
the  treaty  with  England,  and  desired  a  strong  central  gov 
ernment  for   the  sake  of  commanding  respect  abroad  and 
security  at  home.     The  Republicans, — or  Democrats,  as  they 
were  often  called,   the  two   names  having  nearly  the   same 
meaning, — were  friends  to  France,  and  to  the  independent 
sovereignty  of  our  states,  while  they  violently  opposed  Jay's 
treaty,  the  United  States  Bank,  and  the  payment  of  state 
debts  by  the  general  government.     They  constantly  sounded 
the  alarm  of  "  monarchy"  when  any  new  power  was  exerted 
by  Congress  or  the  President;    and  perhaps  some  of  them 
really    feared    that    Washington    might    become    "king    of 
America,"   though   this  apprehension  was  certainly  not  felt 
by  the  leaders,  nor  by  the  more  intelligent  members  of  the 
party.     Alexander  Hamilton  and  John  Adams  were  leading 
Federalists;  Jefferson,  Madison,  and  Monroe  were  the  chief 
Republicans. 

334.  A  treaty  with  Spain,  in  1795,  settled  the  bound 
aries  between  the  United   States  on  one  side,  and   Florida 
and  Louisiana  on  the  other.     The  navigation  of  the  Missis 
sippi  was  secured  to  American  citizens,  and  they  were  per 
mitted   to   use   New    Orleans   for   ten    years  as  a  place  of 
deposit.     This  treaty  removed  a  great  danger;  for  the  grow 
ing  products  of   the  West  needed  this  natural  outlet,  and 


TREATY  WITH  SPAIN. 


195 


Algerine  Pirates. 

some  bold  spirits  had  even  plotted  to  seize  New  Orleans  by 
force, — a  movement  which  must  certainly  have  occasioned 
war.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Spanish  authorities  in  that 
city  were  said  to  be  sending  spies  and  emissaries  through 
the  south-western  country,  hoping  to  separate  that  rich  terri 
tory  from  the  Union,  with  a  view  to  make  it  subject  at  last 
to  Spain. 

335.  Treaty  with  Algiers. — During  the  same  year  a 
treaty  was  made  with  the  pirate  government  of  Algiers,  on 
terms  which  were  humiliating  but  necessary,  as  we  had  no 
navy.  $800,000  were  paid  to  the  Dey  for  the  release  of 
American  seamen  whom  he  held  as  slaves,  and  an  annual 
tribute  of  $23,000  was  promised  in  return  for  his  engage 
ment  to  leave  our  merchant-ships  unmolested. 

During  Washington's  two  terms  of  office  Vermont,  Ken 
tucky,  and  Tennessee  were  organized  as  states  and  admitted 
into  the  Federal  Union  (§§223,  243). 


196  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

336.  As  his  second   term   of  office  drew  near  its  close, 
Washington  declined  a  reelection,  in  an  address  to  his  fellow- 
citizens,  which  he  caused  to  be  published  in  a  Philadelphia 
paper.     In  his  last  speech  to  Congress  he  recommended  the 
establishment  of   a  military  academy,  a  national  university, 
an  institution  for  the  improvement  of  agriculture,   and  the 
increase  of  the  navy. 

His  eight  years  of  chief  magistracy  had  been,  if  possible, 
a  yet  greater  service  to  his  country  than  his  eight  years' 
command  of  her  armies.  No  character  was  probably  ever 
more  free  from  selfish  aims;  none  could  have  held  together 
so  many  discordant  interests  until  they  had  time  to  become 
harmonious. 

337.  Washington's  plea  for  union  may  be  given  in 
his  own  words:   "The  North  .  .  .  finds  in  the  productions  of 
the  South  great  additional  resources  of  maritime  and  com 
mercial  enterprise,  and  precious  materials  of  manufacturing 
industry.     The  South,  in  the  same  intercourse,  benefiting  by 
the  agency  of   the  North,  sees  its  agriculture  grow  and  its 
commerce  expand.  .  .  .  The  East,  in  a  like  intercourse  witrr 
the  West,   already  finds, — and  in  the  progressive  improve 
ment  of  interior  communications  by  land  and  water,    will 
more  and  more  find, — a  valuable  vent  for  the  commodities 
which  it  brings  from  abroad  or  manufactures  at  home.     The 

West  derives  from  the  East  supplies  requisite  to  its  growth 
and  comfort,  and  .  .  .  must  owe  the  secure  enjoyment  of  in 
dispensable  outlets  for  its  own  productions  to  the  weight,  in 
fluence,  and  future  maritime  strength  of  the  Atlantic  side 
of  the  Union." 

338.  The  Republican  Court. — Washington  had  main 
tained  the  dignity  of  the  Republic  by  his  grave  and  stately 
manners,   and   the   style  of  his  appearance  in   public.     His 
own   tastes   were    very    simple;    but    some    of  his   advisers 
doubted  whether  the  people  would  respect  and  obey  a  gov 
ernment  which  was  destitute  of  the  pomps  and  ceremonies 


NOTES.  197 


that  made  an  essential  part  of  Old  World  customs.  There 
were  others  who  ridiculed  Washington's  coach  of  state  and 
his  formal  receptions,  as  "aping  the  manners  of  royalty." 
We  shall  see  that  later  presidents  found  it  possible  to  adopt 
simpler  manners,  but  we  may  be  sure  that  Washington  did 
nothing  from  vanity. 

339.  Results  of  the  First  Administrations.— Under 

his  faithful  care,  an  era  of  great  prosperity  had  begun.  The 
honor  of  the  government  had  been  sustained  by  a  secure 
provision  for  the  payments  of  its  debts,  confidence  and 
order  were  established,  commerce  flourished,  and  the  prod 
ucts  of  the  soil  had  become  a  source  of  wealth.  In  spite 
of  the  complaints  of  restless  politicians,  the  people  loved 
their  government,  for  they  found  it  well  fitted  to  secure  their 
peace  and  happiness. 

Read  Volume  V.  of  Irving's  "Life  of  Washington;"  Life  of  Ham 
ilton;  Griswold's  "Court  of  Washington;"  Goodrich's  "Republican 
Court." 

NOTES. 

1.  Alexander  Hamilton  (6. 1757,  d.  1804),  born  in  the  West  Indies,  was 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  characters  of  the  Revolution.  His  mother 
died  when  he  was  a  child,  and  his  father  being  in  destitute  circumstances 
Hamilton  was  taken  charge  of  by  his  mother's  relatives.  They  placed 
him  in  a  commercial  house  when  twelve  years  of  age,  and  although  the 
life  was  very  distasteful  to  him,  he  applied  himself  faithfully  to  the  dis 
charge  of  his  duties.  A  newspaper  article,  written  when  he  was  but 
fifteen  years  old,  was  so  remarkable  that  his  friends  determined  to  give 
him  the  benefit  of  a  good  education,  and  he  was  accordingly  sent  to  New 
York,  where  he  graduated  at  King's  College.  He  became  much  interested 
in  politics,  and  a  speech  made  by  him  at  a  public  meeting,  in  1774, 
attracted  general  attention  to  him.  Soon  after  this  he  wrote  a  number  of 
political  pamphlets  that  at  once  gave  him  a  high  position  in  the  com 
munity.  When  nineteen  years  old  he  obtained  a  commission  as  captain 
of  artillery,  and  in  this  capacity  he  first  attracted  the  attention  of  Wash 
ington,  to  whom  he  finally  became  aid-de-camp.  So  implicit  was  Wash 
ington's  confidence  in  this  stripling  of  twenty  that  he  intrusted  to  him 
the  sole  management  of  his  most  delicate  correspondence  with  the 
British  commanders  and  others.  After  the  war  he  studied  law,  in  which 
profession  he  at  once  rose  to  eminence,  but  politics  continued  to  absorb 
much  of  his  time.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention 
(§314),  and  wrote  the  majority  of  a  series  of  papers  called  "The  Federal 
ist,"  which  appeared  in  a  New  York  paper,  in  defense  of  the  Constitution, 
and  no  doubt  had  much  weight  in  causing  its  adoption  by  the  several 
states.  Party  feeling  now  ran  very  high,  and  Hamilton's  great  ability 
and  untiring  energy  won  him  many  strong  friends  among  the  Federal 
ists,  and  many  bitter  enemies  in  the  opposite  party.  As  Washington's 
first  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  Hamilton's  career  was  brilliant  and  sue- 


198  HISTORY  OF   THE  UNITED  STATES. 


cessful,  and  he  readily  refuted  all  the  charges  brought  against  him  for 
mismanagement  and  dishonesty  by  the  Democrats.  A  split  occurring  in 
the  Federalist  party,  Hamilton,  by  his  opposition,  gave  deep  offense  to 
Aaron  Burr,  who  finally  challenged  him  to  a  duel  and  shot  him. 

Hamilton  is  described  as  being  under  the  medium  height  and  slight  in 
figure.  His  complexion  was  fair  and  delicate,  and  his  manners  were  most 
engaging. 

2.  Edmund  Bandolph  (6.  1753,  d.  1813)  was  the  son  of  John  Randolph 
of   Williamsburg,  a  steadfast  Royalist  and  last  Attorney-General  of  the 
Colony  of  Virginia.     Upon  his  enlisting  in   the  cause  of  the  colonies 
against  the  mother-country,  the  son   was  disowned  by  his  father,  but 
adopted  by  his  uncle,  Peyton  Randolph,  who  was  first  president  of  the 
American  Congress.    Edmund  Randolph  served  on  Washington's  staff 
during  the  Revolution.    In  1786  he  was  elected  governor  of  Virginia,  and 
the  next  year  was  a   member  of  the  convention   which   prepared  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States.    Though  dissatisfied  with  some  arti 
cles  of  the  Constitution,  and  refusing  it  his  signature,  he  yielded  to  the 
judgment  of  the  majority  and  used  his  influence  for  its  adoption  by 
the  Virginian  Convention. 

In  1789  he  was  appointed  Attorney-General,  and  tried  to  hold  a  neu 
tral  position  in  the  rising  dissensions  in  the  cabinet  between  the  Fed 
eralists  and  Republicans.  Personally  attached  to  Washington,  he  was, 
in  political  principles,  more  nearly  allied  with  Jefferson,  whom,  in  1794, 
he  succeeded  as  Secretary  of  State.  He  resigned  this  position,  however, 
the  following  year,  owing  to  charges  which  there  is  every  reason  to  be 
lieve  false  and  malicious,  but  which  circumstances  then  deprived  him  of 
the  means  of  refuting.  His  vindication,  published  afterwards,  was  be 
lieved  by  all  excepting  his  personal  enemies.  The  last  eighteen  years 
of  his  life  were  occupied  with  the  practice  of  law. 

3.  Dr.  Manasseh  Cutler  (&.  1742,  d.  1823)  was  a  highly  educated  New 
Englander.    After  graduating  at  Yale  College  he  studied  successively  the 
three  professions  of  law,  theology,  and  medicine,  and  also  became  emi 
nent  as  a  scientist.    During  the  Revolution  he  served  as  a  chaplain.    The 
"  Ohio  Company,"  of  which  he  was  a  member,  was  formed  by  army  offi 
cers  who  wished  to  have  their  bounty  lands  located  together.    Dr.  Cutler 
had  built  the  first  emigrant  wagon  that  penetrated  the  forests  of  Ohio ; 
and  his  son,  Jarvis,  cut  down  the  first  tree  in  the  clearing  made  at 
Marietta. 

4.  The  five  states  formed  out  of  the  North-west  Territory  are  Ohio, 
Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan,  and  Wisconsin. 

5.  General  Arthur  St.  Glair  (6.  1734,  d.  1818)  was  of  Scotch  birth.    He 
had  served  faithfully  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  and  also  under 
Washington  during  the  Revolution.    Having  been  appointed  Commander- 
in-chief  of  the  army  sent  against  the  Miamis,  he  keenly  felt  the  failure 
of  the  expedition,  and,  on  Washington's  refusal  of  the  investigation 
which  he  demanded,  immediately  resigned  his  command.    Later,  Con 
gress  ordered  the  investigation,  and  General  St.  Clair  was  acquitted  of 
all  blame. 

6.  It  was  answered  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  that  Washington 
never  even  touched  the  sum  allowed  him  by  the  government,  which  was 
drawn  and  disbursed  by  the  gentleman  who  had  charge  of  the  expenses 
of  his  household. 

7.  Edmond  Charles  Genet  (or  Genest)  was  born  at  Versailles  In  1765, 
and  although  his  immediate  family  were  prominent  royalists,  he  early 
avowed  republican  principles.    He  represented  the  French  Republic  at 
St.  Petersburg,  but  was  soon  dismissed  from  that  court  and  returned  to 
France.    He  was  then  appointed  ambassador  to  Holland,  but  before  leav 
ing  for  that  country  was  made  minister  to  the  United  States.    After  set 
tling  in  this  country  he  married  the  daughter  of  Mr.  George  Clinton,  then 
governor  of  New  York. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THIRD    ADMINISTRATION,    A.    D. 
John  Adams,  President.  Thomas  Jefferson,  Vice-president. 

340.  The  Second  President.— John  Adams,1  of  Massa 
chusetts,  was  the  second  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
Thomas  Jefferson,   of  Virginia,   having  received  only   three 
votes  less  from  the  electoral  college,2  became  Vice-president. 
These  two  great  men  were  leaders  of  opposite  parties,  and 
during  their  four  years  of  office  the  country  was  disturbed  by 
a  violent  conflict  of  opinions.     The  inconvenience  of  such  a 
division  of  sentiments  in  the  administration  led,  a 

few  years  later,  to  a  change  in  the  mode  of  election, 

— a  distinct  ballot  being  held  for  the  Vice-president,  who  has 

ever  since  been  of  the  same  political  party  with  his  chief. 

341.  Abuse  of  Privileges. — It  had  been  found  that  the 
welcome  which  the  United  States  offered  to  refugees  of  all 
nations  was  greatly   abused.     Men  who  had  been  expelled, 
sometimes   for  crime,   from  their  native  land,   found   homes 
and  prosperity  in  America,  and  used  their  freedom  in  mis 
representing  and  embarrassing  the  government  which   pro 
tected  them.     The  true  interest  of  our  nation  was  peace  and 
friendship  with  all  others,   but   this  was  endangered  by  the 
rival  partisans  of  France  and  England. 

342.  Alien  and  Sedition  Laws. — In  these  circumstan 
ces  Congress  passed  an  Alien  Law,  empowering  the  president 
to    send    out   of   the    country,    at    short    notice,    any   alien 
whom   he  might  consider   dangerous,    and  lengthening  the 
time  requisite  for  becoming  citizens  of  the  United  States  to 
fourteen  years.     It  was  followed  by  a  Sedition  Law,  which 
limited  the  freedom  of  the  press  to  criticise  the  government. 
Under  this  act  it  was  a  crime  to  "write,  print,  utter,  or  pub- 

(«99) 


200  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


lish  any  false,  scandalous,  or  malicious  statement"  against 
either  Congress  or  the  President.  These  laws  were  violently 
opposed, — as  indeed  they  were  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  our 
Constitution, — and  in  the  next  administration  they  were  re 
pealed.  The  great  republic  accepted  the  dangers  with  the 

blessings  of  perfect  free 
dom,  and  rested  her  hope 
of  security  on  the  virtue 
and  good  sense  of  a  ma 
jority  of  her  people. 

343.  Difficulties  with 
France  grew  very  seri 
ous.  French  men-of-war 
seized  American  merchant 
vessels  on  the  high  seas, 
and  demanded  ' '  enroll 
ment  papers"  describing 
the  nationality  of  every 
sailor.  When,  as  usual, 

John  Adams.  these    were    nQt    foun^ 

no  American  law  requiring  them, — the  ship  was  confiscated 
and  sold  for  the  benefit  of  her  captors. 

344.  Our  minister  to  the  French  Republic  was  in 
sultingly   dismissed;    and   when   three  special  envoys3  were 

sent  to  re-open  communications  between  the  gov- 

A.  D.  1797.  .   .     5    . 

ernments,  they  were  refused  all  recognition  in 
their  public  character,  though  they  were  privately  informed 
that  a  large  loan  to  France,  and  liberal  gratuities  to  high 
French  officials,  would  probably  open  the  doors.  "Millions 
for  defense,  not  a  cent  for  tribute,"  was  the  spirited  reply, 
and  the  sister-republics  seemed  to  be  drifting  into  war. 

345.  War    Measures. — Commercial    intercourse    with 

France  was  suspended;  our  army  and  navy  were 

increased  and  reorganized,  and  Washington  was 

called  again  to  the  head  of  the  army.     Though  war  had  not 


HONORS  TO    WASHINGTON.  201 


been  declared,  six  new  frigates  put  to  sea  and  captured 
several  French  prizes  in  the  West  Indies.  But  in  1799 
Napoleon  Bonaparte  came  to  the  head  of  the  French  gov 
ernment,  and  one  of  his  earliest  acts  was  a  friendly  settle 
ment  with  the  United  States. 

346.  Death  of  Washington. — Scarcely  had  Washing 
ton  retired  to   his  home,   in  good  hope  of   a  peaceful  and 
vigorous  old  age,  when  a  sudden  illness  of  two 

days  ended,  his  grand  and  useful  life.  The 
whole  country  mourned  him  as  a  father,  and  those  who  had 
been  his  opponents  were  most  sincere  in  doing  him  honor. 
The  British  fleet  lowered  all  its  flags  at  receiving  news  of 
his  death,  and  Bonaparte,  in  announcing  the  event  to  the 
French  armies,  ordered  that  tokens  of  mourning  should 
drape  all  the  standards  in  the  public  service  for  ten  days. 

347.  The  City  of   Washington. — The  next  summer, 
1800,   the  government  was  removed  to  its   "palace  in  the 
wilderness,"  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac.     There  was  little 
yet  to  indicate  that  a  beautiful  and  stately  city  was  to  oc 
cupy   the   site   chosen  by   Washington.      Mrs.    Adams,4  the 
President's  wife,  on  her  journey  from  Baltimore  to  her  new 
home,  was  actually  lost  in  the  woods,  and,  with  her  escort, 
"wandered   two   hours  without   finding   a  guide   or  path." 
She  adds,   ' '  But  woods  are  all  you  see  from  Baltimore  until 
you  reach  this  city,  which  is  so  only  in  name." 

348.  The    rich    resources    of    the    country    were 
scarcely  dreamed  of.     Anthracite  coal  had  been  discovered 
in  Pennsylvania,  but  its  value  was  so  little  understood  that 
it   was   used   for   mending   roads.     Cotton  had   been  intro 
duced  into   Georgia  in    1786,    and  the   south-eastern   states 
were  found  to  contain  the  finest  cotton  lands  in  the  world, 
but  the  separation  of  a  single  pound  of  cotton  from  its  seeds 
required  a  whole  day,  and  the  woven  fabric  was  more  costly 
than  linen.     In   1793  El*   Whitney?  of  Massachusetts,  while 
visiting  in   Georgia,   invented  a  cotton-gin  which  could  do 


202  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


the  work  of  hundreds  of  men  in  clearing  the  fiber  from  the 
seed.  Arkwright,  in  England,  had  already  perfected  his 
machine  for  spinning  cotton,  and  James  Watt  his  steam- 
engine.  These  three  inventions  revolutionized  the  manu 
factures  of  England  and  America.  With  the  wonderful 
power  of  steam,  England  was  now  able  to  weave  clothing 
for  the  world,  and  America  was  prepared  to  furnish  all  the 
raw  material  that  English  looms  required.  Cotton  became 
one  of  the  most  important  products  of  the  United  States, 
and  a  source  of  enormous  wealth  to  the  South.  The  first 
American  cotton  mill  was  set  up  in  Rhode  Island  by  Slater, 
a  pupil  of  Arkwright,  and  the  building  may  yet  be  seen. 
349.  In  February,  1803,  Ohio,  the  first  of  five  states 
formed  from  the  North-west  Territory,  was  admitted  to  the 
Union.  Though  both  French  and  English  had  held  trading- 
posts  on  the  rivers  first  visited  by  La  Salle  and  the  Jesuits 
(§§156,  158),  the  earliest  permanent  settlement  was  at 
Marietta,  where  the  governor  of  the  whole  territory  resided 
(§325).  Fort  Washington  and  the  village  of  Columbia,  near 
the  junction  of  the  Little  Miami  and  the  Ohio,  were  the 
foundations  of  the  greater  city  of  Cincinnati,  which  took  its 
name  from  the  military  society  formed  by  Revolutionary  offi 
cers  (Note  10,  p.  178). 

Read  Life  and  Works  of  John  Adams;   Hildreth's  "History  of  the 
United  States"  after  Adoption  of  Federal  Constitution,  Vol.  I. 


NOTES. 

1.  John  Adams  was  born  at  Braintree,  Mass.,  in  October,  1735.  He  was 
a  graduate  of  Harvard  College  in  the  class  of  1755,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  three  years  later.  In  1764  he  was  married.  He  was  an  active  and 
influential  member  of  both  the  first  and  second  Continental  congresses, 
and  by  his  energy  and  eloquence  did  more,  perhaps,  than  any  other  man 
to  crystallize  the  American  sentiment  in  favor  of  independence.  Jeffer 
son  drew  up  the  immortal  "Declaration,"  but  it  was  Adams  who  per 
suaded  congress  to  adopt  it.  He  was  the  most  distinguished  signer.  Jef 
ferson  himself  said  that  "he  [Adams]  was  the  pillar  of  its  support:  its 
ablest  advocate  and  defender."  The  appointment  of  Washington  to  the 
chief  command  of  the  army  was  at  the  suggestion  of  John  Adams.  In 
after  years  he  criticised  him  severely,  but  lived  to  see  and  to  acknowledge 
the  injustice  of  his  criticism.  During  the  first  two  years  of  the  war  his 


NOTES.  203 


labors  were  incessant  and  overwhelming.  Besides  being  chairman  of  the 
Board  of  War  and  of  Appeals,  he  was  at  the  head  of  twenty-five  impor 
tant  congressional  committees.  As  commissioner  to  France  and  Holland, 
and  as  "  minister  plenipotentiary  to  negotiate  a  treaty  with  Great  Brit 
ain,"  the  diplomacy  and  practical  wisdom  of  John  Adams  accomplished 
great  results.  He  secured  loans  of  large  amounts,  and  influenced  leading 
European  powers  to  make  treaties  of  amity  and  commerce  with  the  new 
American  republic.  With  Jay  and  Franklin  he  framed  the  preliminary 
treaty  of  Versailles.  After  the  declaration  of  peace  Adams  was  appointed 
minister  to  the  English  court,  which  position  he  filled  until  1788.  Con 
gress  passed  a  resolution  thanking  him  for  the  "  patriotism,  perseverance, 
integrity,  and  diligence  "  displayed  during  his  career  abroad.  Bancroft, 
in  summing  up  the  character  of  President  Adams,  says:  "His  nature 
was  robust  and  manly,  his  convictions  were  clear,  his  will  fixed.  His 
overweening  self-esteem  was  his  chief  blemish ;  and  if  he  compared 
himself  with  his  great  fellow-workers,  there  was  some  point  on  which  he 
was  superior  to  any  one  of  them.  He  had  more  learning  than  Washing 
ton  or  any  other  American  statesman  of  his  age;  clearer  insight  into  the 
constructive  elements  of  government  than  Franklin  ;  more  power  in  de 
bate  than  Jefferson  ;  more  force  in  motion  than  Jay ;  so  that,  by  varying 
and  defining  his  comparisons,  he  could  easily  fancy  himself  the  greatest 
of  them  all.  .  .  .  His  vanity,  however,  did  not  reach  beyond  the  sur 
face  ;  it  impaired  the  luster,  not  the  hardy  integrity  of  his  character.  He 
was  humane  and  frank,  generous  and  clement.  .  .  .  His  courage  was 
unflinching  everywhere ;  he  never  knew  what  fear  was.-" 

One  of  John  Adams's  grandsons  writes  oi  him :  "  Nobody  could  see  him 
intimately  without  admiring  the  simplicity  and  truth  which  shone  in  all 
his  actions,  and  standing  in  some  awe  of  the  power  and  energy  of  his 
will.  His  nature  was  too  susceptible  to  emotions  of  sympathy  and  kind 
ness,  for  it  tempted  him  to  trust  more  than  was  prudent  to  the  professions 
of  some  who  proved  unworthy  of  his  confidence.  Ambitus  in  one 
sense  he  certainly  was,  but  it  was  not  the  mere  aspiration  for  place  or 
power.  It  was  a  desire  to  excel  in  the  minds  of  men  by  the  development 
of  high  qualities,— the  love,  in  short,  of  an  honorable  fame,  that  stirred 
him  to  exult  in  the  rewards  of  popular  favor." 

Many  of  the  acts  of  President  Adams  were  violently  denounced  by  his 
partisan  opponents,  and  the  press  was  very  bitter  in  its  criticism ;  but  the 
sober  judgment  of  later  years  has  approved  most  of  his  public  measures. 
He  and  Jefferson  became  widely  alienated  for  a  time ;  but  before  their 
death,  which  by  a  singular  coincidence  occurred  on  the  same  day— the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence— a  happy  recon 
ciliation  had  taken  place. 

2.  The  second  clause  of  Section  I,  Article  II,  of  the  United  States  Con 
stitution,  begins  thus:  "  Each  state  shall  appoint,  in  such  manner  as  the 
legislature  thereof  may  direct,  a  number  of  Electors  equal  to  the  whole 
number  of  Senators  and  Representatives  to  which  the  state  may  be  en 
titled  in  the  Congress."    These  Electors  meet  in  their  respective  states  at 
a  specified  time  after  a  presidential  election,  and  vote  by  ballot  for  Presi 
dent  and  Vice-president.    These  bodies  of  Electors,  taken  together,  are 
known  as  the  Electoral  College. 

3.  The  minister  was  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney,  and  the  special  en 
voys  were  Pinckney,  John  Marshall,  and  Elbridge  Gerry. 

4.  Abigail  Adams  was  a  woman  of  strong  character,  sterling  good 
sense,  and  marked  intellectual  ability.    She  shared  her  husband's  tastes 
for  books,  sympathized  with  his  high  aims,  made  his  home  bright  and 
happy,  and  won  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom  she  was  associated.    She 
died  in  1818.    The  published  "  Letters  "  between  John  Adams  and  his  wife 
are  among  the  most  valuable  literary  contributions  of  their  time. 

5.  Before  the  invention  of  Whitney's  cotton-gin  the  cleaning  of  a  sin 
gle  pound  of  green-seed  cotton  was  a  day's  work  for  a  southern  field- 
hand.    The  state  of  South  Carolina  paid  Whitney  $50,000  for  the  use  of  his 
invention,  and  North  Carolina  a  fixed  percentage  on  each  machine.    But 
a  succession  of  lawsuits  for  infringements  of  his  patent,  the  burning  of 
his  factory,  and  other  misfortunes  took  away  all  his  profits ;  and  he  re 
trieved  his  fortunes  by  the  manufacture  of  fire-arms  for  the  government, 
at  Whitneyville,  Conn.    He  died  at  New  Haven  in  1825. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


FOURTH  AND   FIFTH  ADMINISTRATIONS,    A.    D.    1801-1809. 


Thomas  Jefferson,  President. 


Aaron  Burr,  George  Clinton,  Vice-presidents. 


350.  The  Third  President. — In  the  Presidential  elec 
tion  of  1800,  the  Federal  party  was  defeated.  Thomas 
Jefferson1  and  Aaron  Burr2-  received  an  equal  number  of 

votes  in  the  electoral  col 
lege;  the  choice  between 
these  two  then  devolved 
upon  the  House  of  Repre 
sentatives.  After  a  close 
ballot  Jefferson  was  de 
clared  President-elect,  and 
Burr,  Vice-president. 

351.  Jefferson  may  be 
considered  as  the  founder 
of  the  Democratic  Party, 
which,  from  the  beginning, 
claimed  for  the  several 
states  all  powers  which 
were  not  expressly  con 
ferred  upon  the  general  government;  aimed  at  the  greatest 
possible  simplicity  and  economy  in  the  administration  of 
public  affairs;  and  insisted  that  all  material  improvements, 
such  as  bridges  and  the  clearing  of  river-beds,  should  be 
made  at  the  expense  of  the  district  to  which  they  belonged. 

352.  Jefferson  was  deeply  versed  in  English  law,  while  as 
the  framer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  he  was,  per 
haps,  of  all  men  then  living,  most  familiar  with  the  princi- 
(204) 


Thomas  Jefferson. 


THE  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE.  205 

pies  of  the  American  constitution.  Seven  years'  residence 
in  France  had  filled  him  with  dread  and  hatred  of  absolute 
governments,  and  with  zeal  for  the  universal  rights  of  man. 

353.  In  his  style  and  demeanor  as  president  he  culti 
vated  the  extreme  of   republican  simplicity,   even  receiving 
the  British  embassador  in  dressing-gown  and  slippers.     On 
the  occasion  of  his  first  address  to  Congress,  he  rode  alone 
to  the  Capitol,  tied  his  horse  to  the  paling  which  then  sur 
rounded  it,   and  entered  unattended.     The  formality  of   an 
address  was  afterwards   dispensed  with,   a  written  message 
taking  its  place.     Jefferson  called  about  him  a  cabinet  dis 
tinguished  for  high  talents  and  education.     James  Madison 
was  Secretary  of  State,   and   Albert   Gallatin,3  a  Swiss  by 
birth,  was  in  charge  of  the  treasury. 

354.  The   Treasury. — Distrusting  the   Federalists,  and 
especially    Alexander    Hamilton,    their   leader,    Jefferson  re 
quested  his  new  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  look  sharply 
into  the  records  of  his  office,   thinking  that  occasion  might 
be  found  for  charges  against  its  late  chief.     Gallatin  was  no 
less  keenly  opposed  to  his  predecessor  on  political  grounds, 
but  after  severe  examination  he  reported  to   the   President 
that  no  improvement  was  possible  in  the  management  of  the 
treasury,   for  that   Hamilton   had    ' '  made   no   blunders  and 
committed  no  frauds." 

355.  Indian  Policy. — The  difficult  question  of  a  policy 
toward  the   Indians   was   settled   during   this   administration 
nearly  as  it  has  always  remained.     The  leading  points  were 
to  purchase  their  lands,   excepting  what  they  would  them 
selves  cultivate,   to  lead  them  to  agriculture  instead  of  war 
and  hunting,  and  to  remove  them  west  of  the  Mississippi  as 
soon  as  it  could  be  peacefully  and  justly  done. 

356.  The  greatest  event  of  Jefferson's  term  of  office 
was  the  purchase  of   the  vast  territory  west  of 

the  Mississippi,  lately  ceded  by  Spain  to  France. 

Robert  Livingston   and  James   Monroe  were  the  agents  of 


206  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

the  United  States.  Great  anxiety  was  felt,  for,  after  a  short 
and  treacherous  peace,  France  and  England  were  again 
on  the  eve  of  war;  and  the  latter,  with  her  superior  power 
on  the  sea,  might  easily  'have  wrested  from  France  all  her 
remaining  possessions  in  America.  In  that  case  the  United 
States  could  scarcely  have  maintained  their  dearly  bought 
independence. 

357.  For  the  Territory  of  Louisiana  the  commissioners 
agreed  to  pay  fifteen  millions  of  dollars,  of  which  one  fourth 
was  due  from  the  French  government  to  American  citizens 
for  depredations  upon  their  commerce  (§343).  These  claims 
A  D  180  Were  assumed  by  Congress  and  paid  from  the 
purchase-money.  Upon  signing  the  treaty,  Bona 
parte  remarked  :  "  This  accession  of  territory  strengthens  for 
ever  the  power  of  the  United  States,  and  I  have  given  to 
England  a  maritime  rival  that  will  humble  her  pride."  Liv 
ingston  said:  "We  have  lived  long,  but  this  is  the  noblest 
work  of  our  whole  lives.  This  treaty  will  change  vast  soli 
tudes  into  flourishing  districts.  .  .  .  and  will  prepare  ages  of 
happiness  for  innumerable  generations  of  human  creatures." 

358.  Lewis  and  Clarke's  Expedition. — Captains 
Lewis  and  Clarke4  were  commissioned  to  explore  the  north 
ern  part  of  the  acquired  territory,  which  extended  from  the 
upper  Mississippi  westward  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Ascend 
ing  the  Missouri  to  its  sources,  they  penetrated  a  wilderness 
inhabited  chiefly  by  wolves  and  bears.  Crossing  a  portage 
of  only  thirty-six  miles  to  the  head-waters  of  the  Columbia 
River,  they  threaded  the  primeval  solitudes  to  its  mouth. 
The  story  of  their  travel  during  two  years  and  three  months 
is  full  of  wild  adventure. 

359.  The  Territory  of  Orleans  was  organized  within 

A  D  1804        the  Present  nmits  of  tne  state  of  Louisiana;  the 
remainder  of  the  new  possession  was  known  for 
some  years  as  Louisiana  Territory. 


WAR   WITH  TRIPOLI. 


207 


Lewis  and  Clarke's  Expedition. 

360.  The  humiliating5  treaty  with  Algiers  (§335) 
had  not  hindered  the  attacks  upon  American  ships  by  pirates 
from  Tripoli,  another  of  the  Barbary  states.  In  the  sea 
ports  of  New  England  it  was  no  uncommon  occurrence 
on  a  Sunday  to  hear  a  letter  read  in  church  from  some 
honored  citizen,  now  a  slave  on  the  northern  coast  of 
Africa,  begging  his  old  neighbors  to  advance  money  for  his 
ransom. 

In  1 80 1  the  Pasha  of  Tripoli  declared  war  against  the 
United  States,  and  Commodores  Preble6  and  Morris  were 
sent  to  bombard  his  capital  and  bring  him  to  terms.  Dur 
ing  the  blockade  the  frigate  *  '•Philadelphia  "  was  captured  by 
the  enemy  and  taken  into  port.  Lieutenant  Decatur  sailed 
into  the  harbor  by  night,  with  seventy-six  men  in  a  small 
vessel,  surprised  and  recaptured  the  frigate,  and  burned  her 


208  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

to  the  water's  edge  under  the  guns  of  the  Pasha's  castle. 
In  1805  that  dignitary  was  glad  to  obtain  peace  by  prom 
ises  of  better  behavior. 

361.  The  death  of  Alexander  Hamilton  in  a  private 
combat    with    Vice-president    Burr    in    1804,    horrified    the 
nation,  and  went  far  to  put  an  end  to  the  murderous  custom 
of  dueling.     Hamilton  disapproved  the  practice,  but  when 
challenged  by  Burr,  on  account  of  some  political  offense,  he 
imagined   that   honor   compelled   him   to   accept.     He  pur 
posely  fired  into  the  air,  and  at  the  same  moment  received  a 
mortal  wound. 

362.  Jefferson  was  re-elected  the  following  autumn 
to  the  head  of  the  government,  but  with  George  Clinton,7  of 
New  York,   as  Vice-president.     Burr's  reckless  spirit  drove 
him  into  the  wilderness,  where  he  plotted  the  formation  of  a 
new  and  rival  state  from  the  south-western  territory  of  the 
Union.     He  succeeded  in  ruining  one8  at  least  of  his  accom 
plices,   but  he  was  betrayed  by   another,9  and  his   scheme 

came  to  nought.     He  was  tried  for  treason  at 

Richmond,    Va.     This   crime   was   not    proved, 

and   he   was   released;    but   the   career   which   his   brilliant 

talents  might  have  made  honorable  and  useful,  was  wrecked, 

and  his  old  age  was  dismally  unhappy. 

363.  The  year  1807  is  memorable  for  the  earliest  success 
of  steam  navigation.     Several  ingenious  men  had  been 
experimenting   on    the   application   of    Watt's    invention    to 
modes  of  travel;  but  to  Robert  Fulton,10  a  native  of  Penn 
sylvania,   is  due  the  credit  of  having  persevered  until  all 
obstacles  were  overcome.     He  was  liberally  aided  by  Chan 
cellor  Livingston  of  New  York.     His  first  boat,  the  * '  Cler- 
mont"  ascended  the  Hudson  from  New  York  to  Albany  in 
1807.     Five  years  later  he  built  at  Pittsburgh  the  first  Mis 
sissippi  steamer,  which,  descending  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
rivers,  reached  New  Orleans  in  December,   1812. 


TROUBLES   WITH  ENGLAND.  209 

364.  The  furious  war  now  raging  between  France 
and  England   seemed  destined  to  engulf   the  infant  com 
merce  of  the  United  States.     Each  nation  desired  to  prevent 
supplies  reaching  its  rival;  neutral  vessels  were  forbidden  to 
enter  any  European  port;  and  thus  the  American  carrying 
trade  was  cut  off  at  a  blow.     Equally  vexatious  was  the  pre 
tended  "right  of  search."     In  June,   1807,  the  British  ship 
"Leopard"    fired   into   the   American   frigate    "Chesapeake" 
near  Fortress  Monroe,  killed  three  men,  wounded  eighteen, 
and   carried   off   four,    under   the   pretense    that   they   were 
British    subjects.     The    king's    government    expressed    ' '  re 
grets,"  but  re-affirmed  the  right  of  search. 

365.  Congress  retaliated  by  an  Embargo  Act,  prohibit 
ing  the  sailing  of  all  vessels  for  any  foreign  port. 

This  was  injurious  to  British  commerce,  but  it 
occasioned  yet  greater  suffering  in  America.  In  New  En 
gland,  which  was  more  dependent  upon  trade  than  the  rest 
of  the  country,  it  met  with  determined  opposition.  Jeffer 
son  always  believed  that  if  the  Embargo  Act  could  have 
been  faithfully  observed  by  the  whole  people,  the  war  which 
marked  his  successor's  administration  might  have  been  pre 
vented.  But  the  opposing  interests  were  too  strong,  and 
after  fourteen  months  it  was  repealed. 

Read  Tucker's  "Life  of  Jefferson,"  and  Lord  Brougham's  review  of 
it  in  "Edinburgh  Review,"  1837;  Lewis  and  Clarke's  Journal;  Jeffer 
son's  Autobiography. 

NOTES. 

1.  Thomas  Jefferson  (born  at  Shadwell,  Va.,  1743,  died  at  Monticello, 
1826).  "Just  thirty-three  years  old,  married,  and  happy  in  his  family, 
affluent,  with  a  bright  career  before  him,  he  was  no  rash  innovator  by  his 
character  or  his  position  ;  if  his  convictions  drove  him  to  demand  inde 
pendence,  it  was  only  because  he  could  no  longer  live  with  honor  under 
the  British  '  constitution  which  he  still  acknowledged  to  be  better  than 
all  that  had  preceded  it.'  .  .  .  No  man  of  his  century  had  more  trust 
in  the  collective  reason  and  conscience  of  his  fellow-men  or  better  knew 
how  to  take  their  counsel ;  and  in  return  he  came  to  be  a  ruler  over  the 
willing  in  the  world  of  opinion.  Born  to  an  independent  fortune,  he  had 
from  his  youth  been  an  indefatigable  student.  Of  a  hopeful  tempera 
ment  and  a  tranquil,  philosophic  cast  of  mind,  always  temperate  in  Ms 
U.  S.  H.— 14. 


210  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


mode  of  life  and  decorous  in  his  manners,  he  was  a  perfect  master  of  his 
passions.  He  was  of  a  delicate  organization,  and  fond  of  elegance ;  his 
tastes  were  refined ;  laborious  in  his  application  19  business  or  the  pur 
suit  of  knowledge,  music  was  his  favorite  recreation.  He  was  a  skillful 
horseman,  and  took  a  never-failing  delight  in  the  varied  beauty  of  rural 
life.  The  range  of  his  studies  was  very  wide;  he  was  not  unfamiliar 
with  the  literature  of  Greece  and  Rome ;  had  an  aptitude  for  mathemat 
ics  and  mechanics,  and  loved  especially  the  natural  sciences.  .  .  .  Jetter- 
son  was  a  hater  of  superstition  and  big9try  and  intolerance ;  he  was  an 
idealist  in  his  habits  of  thought  and  life.  ...  In  his  profession,  the 
law,  he  was  methodical,  painstaking,  and  successful.  Whatever  he  had 
to  do,  it  was  his  custom  to  prepare  himself  for  it  carefully ;  and  in  public 
life,  when  others  were  at  fault,  they  often  found  that  he  had  already 
hewed  out  the  way;  so  that  in  C9uiicil  men  willingly  gave  him  the  lead, 
which  he  never  appeared  to  claim,  and  was  always  able  to  undertake. 
.  .  .  The  nursling  of  his  country,  the  offspring  of  his  time,  he  set  about 
the  work  of  a  practical  statesman,  and  his  measures  grew  so  naturally 
out  of  previous  law  and  the  facts  of  the  past  that  they  struck  deep  root 
and  have  endured."— Bancroft. 

2.  Aaron  Burr  was  born  at  Newark,  N.  J.,  1756,  and  died  on  Staten 
Island,  1836.    His  father  and  his  grandfather,  the  distinguished  Jonathan 
Edwards  (§202),  were  both  presidents  of  Princeton  College,  of  which  in 
stitution  Burr  was  a  graduate.    Before  he  was  three  years  of  age  both  of 
his  parents  died,  and  Aaron  was  left  to  the  care  of  relatives.    He  was  a 
great  reader  in  his  youth,  and  an  industrious  stvident.    He  commenced 
reading  theology,  but  soon  abandoned  it  and  turned  to  the  profession  of 
law.    Soon  after  the  battle  of  Lexington  he  enlisted  in  the  patriot  army, 
and  rose  from  a  sick-bed  to  join  Arnold's  expedition  to  Quebec  (g  246),  and 
valiantly  led  a  forlorn  hope  in  the  assault  on  that  citadel  (§  247).    Owing 
to  ill  health  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  army  in  1779,  and  com 
menced  the  practice  of  law  at  Albany  in  1782.    As  a  lawyer  Aaron  Burr 
ranked  among  the  foremost  of  his  day :  it  is  claimed  he  never  lost  a  case. 
His  political  life  began  in  the  New  York  legislature  in  1784.    He  was  sub 
sequently  attorney-general  of  the  state,  and  in  1791  was  sent  to  the  United 
States  Senate.    His  political  honors  culminated  in  the  Vice-presidency. 
Alexander  Hamilton  had  vehemently  opposed  him  from  his  first  entrance 
into  politics.    He  believed  Burr  to  be  a  dangerous  man  to  place  in  office. 
It  was  his  repeated  utterances  to  this  effect  which  provoked  the  fatal 
challenge.    After  the  duel  Burr  was  disfranchised  from  New  York  state, 
and  lost  social  caste  and  political  influence.    He  plunged  into  the  wild 
scheme  of  subjugating  Mexico  and  uniting  it  to  a  portion  of  the  south 
western  states,  over  which  he  was  to  rule  supreme,  and  at  his  death  his 
idolized  daughter,  Theodosia,  was  to  become  queen !    His  plots  were  pro 
nounced  treasonable,  and  in  1806  President  Jefferson  proclaimed  against 
him  and  authorized  his  capture.    After  his  trial  at  Richmond  he  went 
to  Europe  and  wandered  aimlessly,  from  city  to  city,  under  constant  sur 
veillance,  and  at  times  in  the  depths  of  poverty.    Yet  with  all  his  troubles 
and  disappointments  he  never  seemed  despondent.    He  returned  to  New 
York  in  1812,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law  with  success ;  but  his  old 
friends  and  admirers,  except  a  very  few,  shunned  him.    When  seventy- 
eight  he  married  Madame  Jumel,  a  wealthy  widow,  to  obtain  a  home 
during  the  few  years  he  had  yet  to  live;  but  they  soon  had  trouble  and 
separated,  and  Burr's  last  sickness  was  in  humble  lodgings  provided  by 
one  of  his  life-long  friends.    He  was  buried  at  Princeton  by  the  side  of 
his  father  and  grandfather. 

3.  Albert  Gallatin  was  born  in  Geneva,  Switzerland,  in  1761,  and  died 
at  Astoria,  N.  Y.,  1849.    In  1779  he  graduated  with  honors  from  the  Univer 
sity  of  Geneva,  and  the  next  summer  left  home  and  friends  and  brilliant 
prospects  to  try  his  fortunes  in  America.    He  married  in  1789,  but  his  wife 
lived  only  a  few  months.    To  drown  his  grief  Gallatin  plunged  into  poli 
tics,  and  soon  became  a  leader  of  the  anti-Federalists.    He  was  elected 
United  States  Senator  from  Pennsylvania  in  1793,  but  was  unseated  after 
two  months,  because  he  had  not  lived  in  America  the  nine  years  required 
by  the  Constitution.     Serving  three  years  in  the  Pennsylvania  legisla 
ture  he  entered  Congress  in  1795,  and  by  his  ability  assumed  the  leadership 
of  the  Republicans.    From  1801  he  was  for  twelve  years  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  and  his  able  administration  stamped  him  as  one  of  the  fore- 


NOTES.  211 


most  financiers  of  his  time.  Owing  to  his  wise  statesmanship  he  was 
frequently  selected  as  commissioner  to  negotiate  important  treaties  with 
foreign  powers.  He  was  United  States  minister  to  France  from  1816  to 
1823,  and  to  England  in  1826-7.  In  1824  he  was  nominated  for  Vice-presi 
dent,  but  withdrew  from  the  candidacy.  Gallatin's  subsequent  business 
career  was  successful,  and  his  numerous  financial  and  historical  writings 
added  greatly  to  his  reputation.  "  His  eminent  and  manifold  services  to 
his  adopted  country,  his  great  abilities  and  upright  character  assure  him 
of  a  high  position  in  the  history  of  the  United  States." 

4.  Meriwether  Lewis  and  "William  Clarke  were  of  Virginia  birth,  and 
both  had  abundant  experience  in  Indian  warfare,  so  that  the  perils  of 
their  long  expedition  merely  added  zest  to  the  enterprise.    Their  return 
to  St.  Louis,  September,  1806,  was  nearly  two  and  a  half  years  after  their 
departure  from  that  point.    Lewis  was  made  governor  of  Missouri  terri 
tory,  and  died  near  Nashville  in  1809.    Clarke  also  became  governor  of 
Missouri  territory;   and,  later,  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs.    He 
died  at  St.  Louis  in  1838. 

Many  of  the  Indians  met  with  on  this  journey  were  as  much  surprised 
at  seeing  white  men  as  the  savages  who  greeted  the  landing  of  Columbus 
more  than  three  hundred  years  before.  In  the  history  of  their  expedi 
tion,  referring  to  this  point  they  say:  "They  [the  Indians]  had,  indeed, 
abundant  sources  of  surprise  in  all  they  saw.  The  appearance  of  the 
men,  their  arms,  their  clothing,  the  canoes,  the  strange  looks  of  the 
negro,  and  the  sagacity  of  our  dog, — all  in  turn  shared  their  admiration, 
which  was  raised  to  astonishment  by  a  shot  from  the  air-gun  :  this  oper 
ation  was  instantly  considered  as  a  great  '  medicine,'  by  which  they,  as 
well  as  the  other  Indians,  mean  something  emanating  directly  from  the 
Great  Spirit,  or  produced  by  his  invisible  and  incomprehensible  agency." 

5.  When  Commodore  Bainbridge  presented  himself  on  one  occasion 
with  the  yearly  tribute  at  Algiers,  he  was  commanded  by  the  Dey  to  pro 
ceed  on  some  business  of  his  to  Constantinople.    Upon  his  replying  that 
such  were  not  his  orders,  the  Dey  remarked  :  "  You  are  under  my  orders  ; 
your  people  are  my  subjects,  else  why  do  they  pay  me  tribute?"    The 
Commodore  suggested  to  his  government  that  tribute  should  be  paid 
henceforth  from  the  cannon's  mouth. 

6.  Commodore  Edward  Preble  (b.  1761,  d.  1807)  was  born  in  Maine. 
He  did  gallant  service  as  an  officer  in  the  provincial  navy  during  the 
Revolution,  although  then  so  young.    In  1799  he  was  commissioned  a 
lieutenant  in  the  United  States  navy,  and  rose  rapidly  to  the  rank  of 
commodore.    For  his  services  in  the  war  with  Tripoli  he  received  a  gold 
medal  and  the  thanks  of  Congress. 

7.  "  George  Clinton  (6. 1739,  rf.  1812)  was  the  undisputed  leader  of  the 
popular  party.    He  had  been  governor  of  New  York  since  1777,  and  was 
re-elected  every  other  year  to  that  office  for  eighteen  years.  .  .  .  Able, 
tough,  wary,  a  self-willed  man,  wielding  with  unusual  tact  the  entire 
patronage  of  the  state,  and  dear  to  the  affections  of  the  great  mass  of  the 
people,  he  is  an  imposing  figure  in  the  politics  of  the  time,  and  must  ever 
be  regarded  as  the  Chief  Man  of  the  state  of  New  York  during  the  earlier 
years  of  its  independent  existence."— James  Parton. 

8.  This  refers  to  Harman  Blennerhasset,  an  Irishman  of  good  birth 
and  education,  who  brought  to  America  considerable  wealth,  and  built  an 
elegant  home  on  an  island  in  the  Ohio  River  below  Marietta.    On  his  way 
west  Burr  stopped  at  Blennerhasset's  house,  and,  by  his  glowing  represen 
tations  and  pleasant  promises,  easily  won  the  Irish  gentleman's  support 
in  his  wicked  schemes.    When  Burr  became  emperor  of  the  south-west, 
Blennerhasset  was  to  be  made  a  duke  and  given  the  principal  foreign 
ministry  !    His  money  and  all  his  estates  were  lost  in  the  fatal  enterprise, 
and  he  died  a  broken-hearted  old  man,  on  the  island  of  Guernsey,  1831. 

9.  General  James  "Wilkinson,  then  governor  of  Louisiana,  is  the  per 
son  alluded  to.    He  was  believed  by  many  to  have  been  at  first  a  sharer 
•with  Aaron  Burr  in  his  treasonable  designs,  but  was  acquitted  of  such 
complicity  in  a  trial  held  in  1811.    After  Jefferson's  proclamation,  Gen 
eral  Wilkinson  used  every  means  to  arrest  Burr  and  to  defeat  his  plans. 


212  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


10.  Robert  Fulton  (&.  1765,  d.  1815)  was  in  his  earlier  years  more  of  an 
artist  than  a  mechanic,  and  he  went  to  London  to  perfect  himself  in  por 
trait-painting  under  the  famous  Benjamin  West.  While  there  he  met 
Earl  Stanhope,  James  Watt,  and  others  engaged  in  finding  practical  uses 
for  the  recently  invented  steam-engine,  and  his  mind  was  directed  to  the 
solution  of  the  same  problem.  His  first  application  of  steam-power  for 
propelling  boats  was  on  the  Seine,  in  1803,  but  the  experiment  was  not  very 
successful.  After  the  success  of  the  "  Clermont,"  Fulton's  reputation  was 
world-wide.  He  built  many  river  steamboats,  and  constructed  the  first 
United  States  steam  war-vessel—named  "  Fulton  the  First."  Among  his 
inventions  were  an  improvement  in  canal-locks,  a  submarine  torpedo, 
and  machines  for  marble-sawing,  flax-spinning,  and  rope-making. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


SIXTH    ADMINISTRATION,     A.     D.     1809-1813. 


James  Madison,  President. 


George  Clinton,  Vice-president. 


366.  The   Fourth    President. — Jefferson,    having   fol 
lowed  the  example  of  Washington  in  declining  a  third  term 
of  office,  was  succeeded  by  James  Madison,1  of  Virginia,  who 
was  inaugurated   March  4,    1809.      George  Clinton,   of   New 
York,    was    reflected    as 

Vice-president.  The  same 
principles  continued  to 
control  the  government, 
and  the  same  harmony 
was  visible  in  the  cabinet. 

367.  The  difficulties 
with      England      grew 
worse.     Our  harbors  were 
blockaded  by  British  ves 
sels  which  boarded  every 
American  ship  entering  or 
leaving,    and   forced   sea 
men,  who  were  supposed 

to  be  British  subjects,  into  James  Madison- 

their  own  service.  Their  doctrine  was,  ' '  Once  an  English 
man,  always  an  Englishman;"  while  the  United  States  held 
then,  as  now,  that  a  foreigner  can,  if  he  will,  renounce  his 
allegiance  to  his  sovereign  and  become  a  citizen  of  the  Re 
public. 

368.  At  least  six  thousand  of  our  seamen  had  been  thus 
forced   into  the  British  navy,   and   nine   hundred   American 

(213) 


214  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Impressment  of  Seamen. 


vessels  had  been  boarded  within  eight  years.  President 
Madison  made  every  effort  to  maintain  peace  between  the 
two  countries,  but  in  vain.  War  was  declared  by  the  United 
States  in  June,  1812. 

The  Indians  of  the  North-west  were  now  united  in  a  strong 


HULL ' S  SURRENDER.  2 1 5 

confederacy  under  the  Shawnee  chief,  Tecumseh,2  and  their 
ravages  upon  our  frontier  settlements  for  a  year  past  were 
supposed  to  have  been  incited  by  British  emissaries.  Gen 
eral  Harrison,  having  been  sent  to  subdue  them  during  the 
autumn  of  the  preceding  year,  had  been  surprised  by  a 
night  attack  near  the  Tippecanoe;  but  he  received  it  with 
such  spirit,  and  his  men  fought  so  bravely,  that  the  assail 
ants  were  routed  with  great  slaughter. 

369.  The  first  movement  against  the  British  was 

attended  by  the  greatest  disgrace  that  has  ever  befallen 
American  arms.  Marching  from  Dayton,  Ohio,  General 
Hull  and  1,500  men  toiled  for  a  month  through  dense 
forests  to  Lake  Erie,  and  thence  to  Detroit.  An  invasion  of 
Canada  was  the  object;  and  after  a  brief  pause  for  refresh 
ment  Hull  crossed  the  river,  but  learning  that  Mackinaw 
had  been  taken,  and  that  a  force  of  British  and  Indians  was 
approaching,  he  hastily  retreated. 

370.  Hull's    Surrender. — He   was   soon   followed    by 
General  Brock,   governor  of  Canada,   and  Tecumseh,   with 
their  respective   forces.     The   Americans   were   eager   for   a 
fight,  but  to  their  amazement  and  grief  Hull  raised  a  white 
flag  over  the  fort  without  firing  a  single  cannon.     Not  only 
Detroit,   but  all  Michigan  Territory  was  surren- 

Aug.  16,  1812. 

dered  to  the  British.  Fort  Dearborn,  on  the 
present  site  of  Chicago,  was  taken  by  Indians  about  the 
same  time,  and  its  garrison  were  either  tomahawked  or  made 
prisoners.  General  Hull  was  tried  by  court-martial  and  sen 
tenced  to  be  shot  as  a  coward,  but  the  President  spared  his 
life. 

371.  The  invasion  of  Canada  by  General  Van  Rens- 
selaer's  command  was  less  humiliating,  though  scarcely  more 
successful.     Crossing    Niagara    River,    his    men    drove    the 
enemy  from  their  position  on  Queenstown  Heights;  but  the 
commander  of   the  New  York  militia  refused  to  leave  that 


216  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

state  to  reinforce  him,  and  though  Colonel  Scott3  and  his 
men  fought  bravely,  they  were  forced  to  surren 
der  themselves  as  prisoners  of  war.  General 

Brock  fell  in  the  first  action. 

372.  Naval  Victories. — These  losses  on  land  were  com 
pensated  by  brilliant  victories  on  the  sea.     The   American 
navy  had  for  years  been  so  neglected  that  it  could  hardly 
be   said   to  exist.      But   what  was  wanting  in  material  was 
made  up  by  spirit  and  energy.     Three  days  after  the  sur 
render  of  Detroit,  Captain  Isaac  Hull,4  a  nephew 

Aug.,  1812.  .  .   . 

of  the  disgraced  general,  attacked  the  British 
frigate  Guerriere,  and  in  an  action  of  two  hours  so  demol 
ished  her  that  she  could  not  be  taken  into  port.  Her  crew 
and  stores  were  removed  to  the  victorious  Constitution,  better 
known  by  her  nickname  as  "Old  Ironsides." 

373.  Soon  afterward  the  American  sloop-of-war  Wasp  cap 
tured  the  British  Frolic,  which  was  convoying  a  fleet  of  mer 
chantmen.     So  fierce  was  the  forty-five  minutes'  battle  that 

there  was  not  a  man  on  the  Frolic  able  to  pull 
down  her  flag.  Before  the  Wasp  could  be  put 
into  a  condition  to  make  sail,  both  she  and  her  shattered 
prize  were  taken  by  a  seventy-four  gun  ship  of  the  enemy. 
These  are  only,  two  of  many  brilliant  actions  that  might 
be  narrated.  The  President  gave  letters  of  marque  to  a  host 
of  privateersmen,  which  scoured  every  ocean  and  cap 
tured  in  seven  months  three  hundred  British  merchant  ves 
sels  with  3,000  prisoners.  These  successes  gave  the  more 
surprise  because  Englishmen  had  been  supposed  invincible 
on  the  sea. 

374.  The  campaign  of   1813  was  arranged  on  nearly 
the  same  plan  as  that  of  the  preceding  year,  but  with  differ 
ent  officers.     General  Dearborn,   commander-in-chief  of  all 
the   forces,    was  with   the  army  of   the   center  on  Niagara 
River;    General    Harrison   in    the   North-west,    and   General 
Hampton    on    Lake    Champlain.     As  before,    the   only    sue- 


BA  TTLES  A  T  SEA.  2 1 7 


cesses  of  any  consequence  were  on  water ;  the  actions  of  the 
eastern  and  central  divisions  of  the  army  were  so  indecisive 
that  they  need  not  be  recorded. 

375.  In  the  west  General  Harrison  undertook  the  re 
covery  of  the  ground  which  Hull  had  lost.     A  part  of  his 
forces  captured  Frenchtown,  on  Raisin  River,  but  were  de 
feated   a  few   days   later  by  the  British  and  Indians.     The 
latter  treated  their  prisoners  with  the  usual  savage  brutali 
ties,  and  General  Proctor,  who  had  pledged  his  word  for  the 
safety  of  the  surrendered,  so  far  from  checking  them,  drew 
off  his  white  troops,  leaving  his  allies  maddened  by  liquor 
and  excited  to  butchery  by  the  bounty  which  he  had  offered 
for  every  scalp.     A  few  Kentuckians  were  dragged  as  pris 
oners  to   Detroit  and  offered  for  sale  from  door   to  door. 
Tecumseh  himself  reproached  Proctor  as  unfit  to  be  a  gen 
eral,   and  used  his  own  influence  for  the  protection  of  the 
captives. 

376.  General  Harrison  was  twice  besieged  in  Fort  Meigs, 
on  the  Maumee,   by   Proctor  and  Tecumseh.     The  enemy, 
twice  repulsed,    turned   to  attack   Fort   Stephenson,    on   the 
lower  Sandusky,  commanded  by  Major  Croghan,  with  only 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men;  but  here  they  were  still  more 
summarily  defeated,  and  retired  into  Canada. 

377.  What  the  World  thought  of   Americans.— 
During  the  first  busy  years  when  our  new  Republic  was  re 
pairing  the  wastes  of  its  war  of  independence,   and  obtain 
ing  a  foothold  among  the  nations,  the  taunting  remark  was 
often  heard   that   Americans  cared  only  for  money-making, 
and  had  lost  the  spirit  which  had  won  their  freedom.     The 
gallantry  with  which  the  national  honor  was  maintained  upon 
the  sea  inspired  both  surprise  and  admiration;    and  among 
the  heroes  who  regained   for   America  the  world's  respect, 
none  was  braver  than  James  Lawrence.5 

378.  In  command  of  the  Hornet  he  vanquished  the  British 
brig    Peacock   in   a  fifteen  minutes'    fight  off   Guiana.      Re- 


218  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 


'•iri  \- 


"Don't  give  up  the  Ship." 

turning  home  he  was  transferred  to  the  Chesapeake,  then  un 
dergoing  repairs  in  Boston  Harbor.  Here  he  was  challenged 
by  the  British  flag-ship  Shannon  to  come  out  and  fight.  The 
Chesapeake  was  only  partly  manned  and  unready  for  action, 
but  following  his  first  brave  impulse  he  put  to  sea.  He  was 
mortally  wounded  early  in  the  action,  but  as  he  was  carried 
below  he  cried  with  dying  breath,  "Don't  give  up  the 
ship ! "  That  order  could  not  be  obeyed,  but  the  spirit  of  it 
inspired  many  a  future  victory. 


PERRY'S   VICTORY.  219 


379.  The  United   States   brig   Argus,   after  taking  twenty 
merchantmen,  was  herself  captured  by  the  Pelican  in  August, 
1813.     Captain  David  Porter,  of  the  Essex,  passing  around 
Cape  Horn  into  the  Pacific  Ocean,  made  prizes  of  twelve 
English   ships   and   several    hundreds   of   sailors,    many   of 
whom   were   glad   to   take   service   as    Americans.     A   little 
fleet  was  thus  formed  which  protected  the  American  whaling 
ships  in  the  Pacific.     The  Essex  was  finally  taken  when  in  a 
friendly  harbor,  and  Captain  Porter  wrote  home,    ' '  We  are 
unfortunate,  but  not  disgraced." 

380.  The  Great  Lakes  were  still  controlled  by  the  Brit 
ish,  who  possessed  Michigan  and  threatened  Ohio.     Captain 
Oliver  H.  Perry6  was  commissioned  to  dispute  that  control. 
He  had   first   to  create  a  fleet   from    the   forests  on  Lake 
Erie,  while  sailors  were  brought  overland  in  stage-coaches. 
Scarcely  were  his  nine  ships  ready  for  action  when  the  Brit 
ish   fleet  bore   down  upon  him  near   Put-in  Bay.     Perry's 
flag-ship,  the  Lawrence,  bore  at  her  mast-head  a  pennon  in 
scribed,    "Don't  give  up  the  ship!" 

381.  Battle  of  Lake  Erie. — The  battle  was  severe,  and 
the  Lawrence,  having  fought  two  of  the  British  squadron  at 
once,   was  riddled   and   shattered.     Perry,   seizing  his   flag, 
sprang  into  a  boat  and  was  rowed  to  the  Niagara,  whence 
he  ordered  a  fresh  onset  upon  the  enemy's  line. 

Sept.  10,  1813. 

He  won  a  complete  victory,  and  went  back  to 
the   sinking    Lawrence   to   receive   the   surrender   upon   her 
deck.     Then  he  wrote  to  General  Harrison:   "We  have  met 
the  enemy  and   they  are  ours, — two  ships,  two  brigs,  one 
schooner,   and  one  sloop." 

382.  It  was  the  first  time  that  a  whole  British  squadron 
had  surrendered,  and  the  news  was  received  with  pride  and 
joy  throughout  the  country.      In  fact,  it  virtually  ended  the 
war,  for  it  led  to  the  breaking  up  of  the  Indian  confederacy 
and  the  recovery  of  all  the  land  lost  by  Hull's  surrender. 


220  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


383.  Harrison  crossed  into  Canada  and  hotly  pur 
sued  the  British,  whom  he  overtook  near  the  River  Thames. 
The  Kentuckians  rushed  into  the  battle  crying,  ' '  Remember 
the  Raisin !  "  Proctor  fled.  His  men  laid  down  their  arms, 
and  were  spared.  Tecumseh  spurred  on  his  warriors  with 
his  war-whoop,  resounding  above  the  roar  of  musketry,  but 
suddenly  it  ceased.  Then  the  savages  knew  that  their 
leader  was  dead,  and  they  sought  refuge  in  the  Canadian 
forests. 

In  1812  the  Territory  of  Orleans  (§359)  was  organized  into 
the  state  of  Louisiana,  and  was  admitted  into  the  American 
Union. 

NOTES. 

1.  James  Madison  (&.  1751,  d.  1836)  was  born  at  King  George,  Va.,  of  En 
glish  descent.  He  had  unusual  educational  advantages  from  his  earliest 
years,  and  after  graduating  at  Princeton,  when  twenty  years  of  age,  he 
pursued  an  extensive  course  of  study,  embracing  law,  theology,  philoso 
phy,  and  general  literature.  At  this  period  of  his  life  he  permanently 
impaired  his  bodily  vigor  by  over-study,  and  by  allowing  himself  only 
three  or  four  hours'  sleep  each  day.  He  interested  himself  at  once  in  pol 
itics,  and  in  1776  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Convention.  On 
the  return  of  Jefferson  from  France,  Madison  was  offered  that  mission, 
but  declined  it.  He  also  refused  the  position  of  Secretary  of  State  when 
Jefferson  vacated  it,  feeling  that  he  would  create  a  discord  in  Washing 
ton's  cabinet.  At  the  time  of  the  Constituent  Convention  he  was  an 
ardent  Federalist,  but  later  changed  his  views,  and  was  before  long  recog 
nized  as  the  leader  of  the  Democratic  party.  When  Jefferson  was  elected 
President,  Madison  became  Secretary  of  State,  and  retained  the  office 
eight  years. 

Madison's  contributions  to  the  "  Federalist,"  and  his  state  papers  gener 
ally,  are  considered  among  the  most  able  productions  of  American  states 
men.  His  writings  have  been  purchased  and  published  by  the  general 
government.  Thomas  Jefferson,  in  his  Autobiography,  has  left  the  fol 
lowing  estimate  of  his  successor : 

"  Mr.  Madison  came  into  the  House  in  1776,  a  new  member  and  young; 
which  circumstances,  concurring  with  his  extreme  modesty,  prevented 
his  venturing  himself  in  debate  before  his  removal  to  the  Council  of 
State  in  November,  '77.  From  thence  he  went  to  Congress,  then  consist 
ing  of  few  members.  Trained  in  these  successive  schools,  he  acquired  a 
habit  of  self-possession  which  placed  at  ready  command  the  rich  resources 
of  his  luminous  and  discriminating  mind,  and  of  his  extensive  informa 
tion,  and  rendered  him  the  first  of  every  assembly  afterwards  of  which 
he  was  a  member.  Never  wandering  from  his  subject  into  vain  declama 
tion,  but  pursuing  it  closely,  in  language  pure,  classical,  and  copious, 
soothing  always  the  feelings  of  his  adversaries  by  civilities  and  softness 
of  expression,  he  rose  to  the  eminent  station  which  he  held  in  the  great 
National  Convention  of  1787  (§314);  and  in  that  of  Virginia  which  fol 
lowed,  he  sustained  the  new  Constitution  in  all  its  parts,  bearing  off  the 
palm  against  the  logic  of  George  Mason,  and  the  fervid  declamation  of 
Mr.  Henry.  With  these  consummate  powers  were  united  a  pure  and 
spotless  virtue  which  no  calumny  has  ever  attempted  to  sully.  Of  the 
powers  and  polish  of  his  pen,  and  of  the  wisdom  of  his  administration  in 
the  highest  office  of  the  nation  I  need  say  nothing.  They  have  spoken, 
and  will  forever  speak  for  themselves." 


NOTES.  221 


At  the  close  of  his  presidential  career  Madison  retired  to  his  farm  of 
"  Montpelier,"  in  Virginia,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  agricultural  inter 
ests  of  the  county.  For  a  long  period  he  acted  as  visitor  and  rector  of 
the  University  of  Virginia.  Madison's  last  public  service  was  in  1829, 
when  he  was  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Convention  to  remodel  the  state 
constitution.  His  presence  produced  a  great  sensation,  but  from  his  age 
and  infirmities  he  was  unable  to  take  part  in  the  debate. 

2.  Tecumseh  was  born  near  the  present  town  of  Springfield,  Ohio, 
about  1768.    He  and  his  brother,  who  assumed  to  be  a  prophet,  endeav 
ored,  in  1805,  to  unite  all  the  western  tribes  into  one  nation  against  the 
whites.    They  had  partially  succeeded,  when  the  defeat  of  the  prophet  at 
Tippecanoe,  in  1811,  prevented  lurther  steps  in  that  direction. 

3.  This  was  Winfield  Scott,  who  afterwards  became  a  celebrated  gen 
eral.    See  Note  4,  page  259. 

4.  Isaac  Hull  (6. 1775,  d.  1843),  the  son  of  a  Revolutionary  officer,  was 
born  at  Derby,  Conn.,  and  when  nineteen  years  old  became  master  of  a 
merchant  vessel.    When  troubles  with  France  arose,  in  1798,  he  entered 
the  navy  as  a  lieutenant,  and  distinguished  himself  by  several  daring 
exploits.    His  defeat  and  capture  of  the  "  Guerriere  "  was  felt  to  be  of  the 
greatest  importance,  as  it  was  the  first  naval  action  of  the  war. 

5.  James  Lawrence  (&.  1781,  d.  1813)  was  born  in  Burlington,  N.  J.,  and 
entered  the  navy  as  a  midshipman  when  seventeen  years  old.    In  the 
war  with  Tripoli  he  served  with  distinction,  and  took  part  in  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  "Philadelphia"  (§360).    Congress  rewarded  him  with  a  gold 
medal  for  his  capture  of  the  "  Peacock." 

6.  Oliver  Hazard  Perry  (6. 1785,  d.  1819)  was  born  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  and 
in  1799  first  saw  active  service  in  the  navy  as  a  midshipman  on  the  frigate 
"  General  Greene,"  under  the  command  of  his  father.    The  battle  of  Lake 
Erie  was  his  greatest  achievement,  although  he  did  good  service  through 
out  the  war.    In  1819,  while  cruising  on  the  Columbia  coast,  South  Amer 
ica,  he  contracted  yellow  fever,  and  died  just  as  his  vessel  reached  Port 
Spain,  on  the  island  of  Trinidad.  » 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

SEVENTH    ADMINISTRATION,    A.    D.    1813-1817. 

James  Madison,  President.  Elbridge  Gerry,  Vice-president. 

384.  The  southern  Indians  had  this  summer  surprised 
Fort  Mimms,  in  Alabama,  and  murdered  men,   women,   and 
children  to  the  number  of  nearly  four  hundred.     The  vol 
unteer  troops  of   Georgia,   Mississippi,   and  Tennessee  mus 
tered   to    avenge   the   massacre,    and   among   them   General 
Jackson   gained    confidence    by    his    quick,    decisive   move 
ments.     Several  victories  were  won  in  the  autumn  of  1813, 
and  in  spite  of   hardships, — the  men  having  sometimes  no 
food  but  acorns, — Jackson  resolved  to  hold  the  country  all 
winteT.     In  March  the  last  battle  was  fought  at  Horse-shoe 
Bend,  where  a  thousand  Creek  warriors,  with  many  women 
and  children  of  their  tribe,  were  slain  without  pity.     The 
Holy  Ground  of  the  Creeks,  which  they  had  thought  could 
never  be  taken,    passed   into   the   possession  of   their  con 
querors. 

385.  Burning    of    Washington.  —  During    these   two 
years  the  British  visited  the  coasts  of   Maryland,   Virginia, 
and   the    Carolinas,    more   in   the    character  of   pirates   and 
plunderers  than  of  honorable  warriors, — burning  villages  and 
farm  buildings,   robbing  churches,   and  even  murdering  the 
sick  in  their  beds.      Meeting  very  little  opposition,  General 
Ross,  in  1814,  marched  to  Washington  and  destroyed  most 
of  the  buildings  and  records  belonging  to  the  government, 
together  with  much  private  property.1 

386.  Bombardment  of  Baltimore. — Both  fleet  and 
army  then  advanced  upon  Baltimore,  but  the  city  was  well 

(222) 


BATTLE  OF  LUNDY'S  LANE.  22$ 

defended   by   the    Maryland   militia,    while   Fort   McHenry 
withstood    a    storm   of    balls    and    bombs,    which 
lasted  from  sunrise  until  after  midnight,   without 
the  slightest  apparent  injury.     It  was  during  this  bombard 
ment  that  Francis  S.  Key,  an  American  patriot,  detained  on 
board  the  British  fleet,  wrote  the   "Star  Spangled  Banner." 
Failing  of   their  purpose,   the  enemy  withdrew.      It  is  only 
fair  to  say  that  Admiral  Cockburn,2  the  chief  marauder,  was 
denounced  by  some  of  the  best  people  in  his  own  country 
as  a  disgrace  to  the  British  navy. 

387.  The   New  England   States  suffered  even  more 
than  the   Southern,   for  their   commerce  and   fisheries  were 
broken  up  by  a  strict  blockade.     The  light-houses  were  kept 
in  darkness,  as  they  served  only  as  guides  to  the  enemy. 
Owing   to  a  temporary   peace  in  Europe,   the  British  were 
largely  reinforced  in    i8|K>  and  American  operations  were 
mainly  defensive. 

Oswego  was  attacked  in  May  by  a  force  from  Canada,  and 
Colonel  Mitchell,  unable  to  defend  it,  withdrew  his  garrison. 
The  enemy  burned  the  barracks,  dismantled  the  works,  and 
retired.  The  spirit  of  the  Americans  rose  with  difficulties. 
On  the  third  of  July  they  captured  Fort  Erie,  opposite 
Buffalo,  and  two  days  later  defeated  General  Riall  at  Chip- 
pewa,  after  a  hard-fought  battle. 

388.  Lundy's    Lane. — Three    weeks    later    Generals 
Brown3   and   Scott    gained   a   brilliant    victory   at   Lundy's 
Lane,  near  Niagara  Falls,  where  General  Riall 

was  made  a  prisoner.  Seeing  that  a  hill 
crowned  with  cannon  was  the  key  to  the  British  position, 
General  Brown  said  to  Colonel  James  Miller,4  "Colonel, 
take  your  regiment,  storm  that  work,  and  take  it."  "I'll 
try,  sir,"  was  the  reply,  and  marching  steadily  up  the  hill, 
he  took  it. 

389.  The  British  made  repeated  attempts  to  regain  Fort 
Erie.     Early    in    August   they   commenced   a   regular    siege 


224 


HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


Battle  of  Lundy's  Lane. 


which  lasted  more  than  six  weeks;  but  on  the  lyth  of  Sep 
tember  a  spirited  sortie  was  made  by  the  garrison,  resulting, 
after  a  severe  contest,  in  the  capture  of  all  the  British 
works.  Quitting  the  siege  in  disgust,  General  Drummond 
marched  away,  and  the  attempt  was  not  renewed.  In  No 
vember  the  fort  was  demolished,  and  the  American  army 
retired  to  winter-quarters  at  Buffalo  and  Black  Rock. 

390.  War  unpopular  in   New  England.— From  the 

beginning  the  war  had  been  unpopular  in  New  England, 
where  the  Federalists  were  most  numerous.  The  English 
thought  it  possible  to  separate  the  eastern  from  the  southern 
states,  and  even  to  win  them  back  to  their  old  obedience. 
To  this  end  they  planned  in  the  campaign  of  1814  to  repeat 
the  movement  of  Burgoyne  (§262).  An  army  of  14,000 
men  and  a  fleet  of  gun-boats  entered  the  state  of  New  York 
by  way  of  Lake  Champlain. 


MAP  TO  ILLUSTRATE 

WAR  OF  1812, 

By  Bussell  Hinman  C.E. 


END  OF  THE   WAR  OF  1812.  225 

391.  Battle   of   Plattsburgh. — They   were   met   near 
Plattsburgh  by  Commodore  McDonough5  on  the  lake  and 
by  General  Macomb6  on  land.     The  naval  battle  lasted  only 
two  hours,  but   the   American  victory  was  com 
plete.     The   British   commodore  was  killed;    his 

larger  vessels  were  captured.  The  combat  on  land  was 
equally  severe,  but  it  ended  in  success  for  the  Americans, 
and  the  invading  forces  marched  back  into  Canada. 

392.  The  Hartford   Convention. — The  opposition  in 
New  England  to  a  continuance  of  the  war  had  now  reached 
its  height.      In   December  some  of   the   leading   Federalists 
held  a  convention  at   Hartford.      Its  consultations  were  se 
cret,  and  its  enemies  considered  them  disloyal.     In  the  joy 
of   the   success   at    Plattsburgh,    most    people   had    become 
better  affected  toward  the  war,  and  the  Federal  party  lost 
much  ground  in  consequence  of  the  Hartford  Convention. 

393.  Treaty  of  Ghent. — Before  its  sessions  were  ended 
peace  had  been  signed  at  Ghent  by  the  commis- 

.  .      .  Dec.  24,  1814. 

sioners  of  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain. 
But  as  ocean  steamers  and  telegraphs  were  not  yet  in  exist 
ence,  a  needless  battle  was  fought  below  New  Orleans  be 
fore  the  news  arrived  in  America. 

394.  Learning  that  the   British  were  about  to  attack  the 
city,  General  Andrew  Jackson  marched  thither  with  the 
same   forces  that   had   subdued   the   Creeks   (§384).      Nine 
miles  below  New  Orleans  he  formed  a  breastwork,  chiefly  of 
cotton-bales  and  sand-bags.     Here  he  was  attacked,  January 
8,  by  General   Pakenham  and  his  veteran  army  of    12,000 
men,  most  of  whom  had  been  trained  in  the  wars  with  Na 
poleon.     To  oppose  them  Jackson  had   less   than  half   that 
number  of  undisciplined  troops,  but  among  these  were  the 
sharp-shooters  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee. 

395.  Battle  of  New  Orleans. — The  British  advanced 
in  splendid  order  under  the  fire  of  the  American  cannon, 

U.  S.  EL— 15. 


226  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

but  as  soon  as  they  came  within  rifle-range  they  wavered, 
and  their  brilliant  columns  were  strewn  upon  the  plain. 
They  were  rallied,  but  only  to  break  again,  and  fall  under 
the  deadly  aim  of  the  marksmen.  Pakenham  was  killed, 
and  his  two  next  officers  were  severely  wounded.  The 
British  captured  one  important  battery,  but  they  could  not 
follow  up  their  success,  and  the  American  victory  was  one 
of  the  most  complete  of  the  war.  After  a  loss  of  more  than 
2,000  men  the  invaders  withdrew  to  Lake  Borgne,  and  soon 
afterward  embarked  for  Jamaica. 

396.  The  news  of  peace  was  hailed  with  irrepressible 
joy    by    the    whole    nation.     Bells    rang    merrily;    bonfires 
blazed;  messengers  on  fleet  horses  spurred  to  inland  villages, 
shouting  the  glad  tidings  as  they  rode.     The  * '  Second  War 
of  American  Independence  "  had  commanded  the  respect  of 
other  nations,  and  though  the  "right  of   search"  was  not 
mentioned  in  the  treaty  of   Ghent,  it  was  never  again  as 
serted  by  Great  Britain. 

397.  The  Barbary  States  had  taken  advantage  of  the 
war  to  renew  their  attacks  upon  vessels  of  the  United  States. 
Commodore   Decatur7   was  sent  with   a  squadron   to  mend 
their  behavior.     Having  captured   two  of  the  largest  Alge- 
rine   frigates,    he    sailed    successively    into    the    harbors   of 
Algiers,  Tunis,  and  Tripoli,  where  he  obtained  the  release  of 
all  American  prisoners,  and  payment  for  some,  at  least,  of 
the  losses  inflicted  by  the  pirates,  and  put  an  end  forever  to 
claims  of  tribute  from  the  United  States. 

398.  Great  distress  followed  the  war.     While  cut  off 
from  all  trade  with  Europe,  Americans  had  employed  their 
money  in  manufactures,   which   for   a  few   years  were  very 
prosperous.     As  soon  as  the  war  was  over,  and  the  superior 
but  cheaper  fabrics  of  France  and  England  began  to  flood 
our  markets,  home  manufactures  were  ruined.     To  protect 
our  rising  industries,  and  at  the  same  time  meet  the  interest 


NOTES.  227 


of  a  war  debt  of  a  hundred  millions,  duties  were  imposed  on 
foreign  goods  entering  our  ports.  This  "American  System," 
as  it  was  called,  of  protection  for  home  industries,  found 
favor  with  the  Federalist  party  and  the  manufacturing  states; 
while  the  agricultural  states  and  the  Democratic  party  have 
usually  favored  free  trade. 

399.  In  1816  Indiana  became  the  nineteenth  state  in  the 
Union.  Michigan  had  been  organized  as  a  separate  Territory 
in  1805,  and  Illinois,  including  Wisconsin,  in  1809. 

Read  Jefferson's  Works,  Vol.  I.;  Bentoivs  "Thirty  Years  in  the 
United  States  Senate,"  Vol.  I.;  Hildreth's  "History  of  the  United 
States;"  Cooper's  "History  of  the  American  Navy;"  Lossing's 
"Field  Book  of  the  War  of  1812;"  Life  of  Madison  in  "National 
Gallery  of  Distinguished  Americans,"  Vol.  II. 

NOTES. 

1.  The  British  force  numbered  4.000.    The  news  of  their  approach  cre 
ated  a  panic,  and  the  undisciplined  and  inexperienced  militia,  hurriedly 
gathered  to  oppose  them,  fled  at  the  first  fire.    "Such,"  says  Hildreth, 
"  was  the  famous  battle  of  Bladensburg,  in  which  very  few  Americans 
had  the  honor  to  be  either  killed  or  wounded,  not  more  than  fifty  in  all ; 
and  yet,  according  to  the  evidence  subsequently  given  before  a  con 
gressional  committee  of  investigation,  every  body  behaved  with  wonder 
ful  courage  and  coolness,  and  nobody  retired  except  by  orders  or  for  want 
of  orders." 

2.  This  was  Sir  George  Cockburn  (6. 1772,  d.  1853),  who  afterwards  rose 
to  the  highest  rank  in  the  English  navy,  and  served  in  several  important 
official  positions.    In  1815  he  carried  out  the  sentence  of  Napoleon,  con 
veying  him  to  St.  Helena  on  board  his  ship. 

3.  General  Jacob  Brown  (6.  1775,  d.  1828)  was  of  Quaker  origin,  and 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  but  at  the  time  of  the  war  of  1812  was  a  resi 
dent  of  the  state  of  New  York.    Throughout  the  war  he  maintained  a 
reputation  for  great  bravery  and  military  skill,  and  at  its  close  he  re 
ceived  a  gold  medal  and  a  vote  of  thanks  from  Congress.    He  remained  in 
the  regular  army  after  peace  was  declared,  and  finally  attained  the  chief 
command.    Brownsville,  on  the  site  of  his  estate  in  Jefferson  County, 
New  York,  is  nnmed  after  him. 

4.  James  Miller  was  born  at  Peterborough,  New  Hampshire,  in  1776, 
and  was  educated  for  the  profession  of  law ;  but  finding  it  distasteful,  he 
entered  the  United  States  army,  in  1808,  with  the  commission  of  major. 
He  was  distinguished  throughout  the  War  of   1812  for  his  remarkable 
bravery,  and  this  exploit  at  Lundy's  Lane  won  for  him  the  rank  of  brevet 
brigadier-general  and  a  gold  medal  from  Congress  bearing  the  motto,  "  I'll 
try."    This  battle  was  fought  on  a  dim  moonlight  night,  and  Miller's  com 
mand  succeeded  in  creeping  up  the  hill  in  the  shadow  of  an  old  rail-fence 
undiscovered  by  the  British  until  almost  upon  them.    Miller  resigned  his 
commission  in  1819  to  accept  the  governorship  of  Arkansas;  he  held  this 
position  six  years,  and  was  then  made  collector  of  the  port  at  Salem, 
Mass.    He  held  the  latter  office  until  1849,  when  he  was  disabled  by  par 
alysis,  and  in  1851  a  second  stroke  of  the  disease  killed  him. 


228  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


5,  Commodore  Thomas  McDonough  (b.  1783,  d.  1825)  was  born  in  New 
Castle  County,  Delaware,  and  entered  the  navy  as  a  midshipman  when 
sixteen  years  of  age.    He  was  one  of  the  officers  of  the  u  Philadelphia," 
and  only  escaped  capture  by  the  Algerines  through  having  been  left 
with  a  prize  at  Gibraltar.    He  afterwards  assisted?  under  Decatur,  in  re 
capturing  and  burning  his  old  vessel  (§360).    His  victory  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain  was  rewarded  by  Congress  with  a  gold  medal,  and  by  various  cities 
and  towns  with  civic  honors.    The  state  of  Vermont  presented  him  with 
a  tract  of  land  overlooking  the  scene  of  his  victory.    He  died  on  board  a 
vessel  sent  to  bring  him  home  from  his  command  of  the  Mediterranean 
squadron,  to  which  he  had  been  appointed  after  the  War  of  1812. 

6.  General  Alexander  Macomb  (6.  1782,  d.  1841),  a  native  of  Detroit, 
was  an  officer  of  the  United  States  army  from  his  seventeenth  year  until 
his  death,  beginning  as  a  cornet  of  cavalry  and  ending  as  major-general 
in  command  of  the  army.    The  battle  of  Plattsburgh  was  his  greatest 
achievement,  and  won  him  a  vote  of  thanks  and  gold  medal  from  Con 
gress,  as  well  as  his  brevet  as  major-general. 

7  Commodore  Stephen  Decatur  was  the  son  of  a  naval  officer  of  the 
Revolution,  and  was  born  at  Sinnepuxent,  Maryland,  in  1779.  When 
twenty  years  old  he  entered  the  navy,  and  a  few  years  later  brought  him 
self  prominently  into  notice  by  recapturing  and  burning  the  "  Philadel 
phia  "  (§360).  For  this  exploit  he  was  at  once  promoted  to  a  captaincy,  and 
served  with  distinction  in  succeeding  actions  during  the  TrijDolitan  War. 
His  greatest  vict6ry  in  the  War  of  1812  was  the  capture  of  the  "  Mace 
donian,"  an  English  frigate,  after  a  stubborn  fight  of  an  hour  and  a  half. 
For  this  action  Congress  voted  a  gold  medal  to  Decatur,  and  a  silver  one 
to  each  commissioned  officer  under  him.  In  1820  he  had  a  correspondence 
with  Commodore  Barren  in  reference  to  the  affair  of  the  "  Chesapeake  " 
and  "  Leopard,"  §  364  (Barron  having  commanded  the  former  vessel), 
which  resulted  in  a  duel  between  the  two  officers :  both  fell  at  the  first 
fire.  Decatur  was  wounded  mortally,  and  died  within  twenty-four  hours. 
Barron  recovered. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


EIGHTH  AND  NINTH  ADMINISTRATIONS,   A.   D.    1817-1825. 


James  Monroe,  President. 


Daniel  D.  Tompkins,  Vice-president. 


400.  The  Fifth  President.— -fames  Monroe,1  of  Virginia, 
the  fifth  President  of  the  United  States,  had  a  happy  and 
popular  administration.  The  country  speedily  recovered 
from  the  disasters  occasioned  by  the  war.;  the  fame  of  its 
rich,  unoccupied  lands 
drew  a  tide  of  immigrants 
from  Europe,  whose  labor 
helped  to  develop  the  nat 
ural  wealth  of  the  country, 
and,  by  making  roads, 
bridges,  and  canals,  to 
supply  outlets  for  its  pro 
ductions. 

401.  Slavery. — In  co 
lonial  times  negroes  had 
been  held  as  slaves  in  the 
North  as  well  as  the 
South  (§  148) ;  but  while 
corn  and  most  of  the 
northern  products  could  be  more  profitably  raised  by  free 
laborers, — cotton,  rice,  sugar,  and  tobacco,  the  four  chief 
staples  of  the  South,  were  supposed  to  require  the  labor  of 
slaves  (§135).  Notwithstanding  this  there  had  been  opposi 
tion  to  the  introduction  and  extension  of  slavery  by  the 
South  itself  from  the  earliest  colonial  times  (§§152,  148). 
The  Federal  Constitution  did  not  mention  slaves,  but  left  to 
each  state  existing  at  the  time  of  its  adoption,  the  duty  of 

(229) 


James  Monroe. 


23° 


HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


making  or  modifying  laws  concerning  them.     The  territories 
being  under  the  direct  government  of  Congress,  this  question 

had  to  be  decided  for 
them  and  for  all  states 
to  be  formed  from  them. 

402.    The   Missouri 

Compromise.— Thomas 
Jefferson,  a  slave  owner, 
made  the  first  proposition 
in  Congress  to  restrict 
slavery  in  1784.  It  then 
failed  to  pass,  but  when 
the  North-west  Territory 
was  organized,  in  1787, 
slavery  was  there  pro 
hibited  by  a  unanimous 
vote  of  Congress,  and  the 
act  was  approved  by 
Washington.  One  northern  state  after  another  emancipated 
its  slaves,  and  the  boundary  line  of  slavery  separating  the 
North  and  the  South  became  more  strictly  defined.  In  1817 
the  state  of  Mississippi  was  admitted  to  the  Union ;  Illinois 
followed  in  1818,  Alabama  in  1819,  and  Maine  in  1820. 
Upon  the  application  of  Missouri  for  leave  to  form  a  state 
constitution,  the  important  question  arose  in  Congress 
whether  any  more  slave-states  should  be  admitted.  After 
long  discussion  it  was  supposed  to  be  settled  by  the  Missouri 
Compromise,  which  admitted  that  state  with  its 
slaves,  but  prohibited  the  extension  of  slavery 
into  any  territory  of  the  United  States  north  of  36°  30'  north 
latitude. 

Henry  Clay*  of  Kentucky,  was  the  chief  advocate  of  the 
compromise,  and  he  used  all  his  eloquence  in  calming  the 
angry  passions  which  the  discussion  had  excited,  and  in  pro 
moting  peace  and  brotherly  confidence. 


Henry  Clay. 


MONROE'S  FOREIGN  POLICY. 


231 


403.  Events  of  1819, — The  first  ocean  steamer  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  from  Savannah  to  Liverpool,  in  1819.     The  same 
year  a  treaty  was  made   by   which   Spain  ceded  Florida,  of 
which  she  had  again  obtained  possession  (§  193),  to  the  United 
States,  the  latter  undertaking  to  pay  five  millions  of  dollars 
due  from  the  former  power  to  American  citizens.     Florida 
became  a  territory  under  the  control  of  Congress,   and  the 
President  appointed  General  Jackson  to  be  its  governor. 

404.  The  Monroe  Doctrine, — A  ten  years'  revolution 
had  now  resulted  in  the  separation  of  most  of  the  Spanish 
colonies  from  their  mother- 
country  (§299).     In  recog 
nizing     Mexico     and     five 

South  American  republics 
as  independent  states,  Pres 
ident  Monroe  announced 
the  principle  of  his  foreign 
policy  :  ' '  The  American 
continents,  by  the  free  and 
independent  position  which 
they  have  assumed  and 
maintained,  are  not  to  be 
considered  as  subject  to 
future  colonization  by  any 
foreign  power."  "  Friend 
ship  with  all,  entangling 
alliances  with  none,"  has  been  the  spirit  of  international 
relations  founded  upon  the  "Monroe  Doctrine." 

At  the  close  of  his  first  term  Mr.  Monroe  was  re- 
elected  by  the  votes  of  every  state. 

405.  Visit  of  La  Fayette,— In  1824  La  Fayette,  then 
an  old  man,  revisited  the  country  which  in  his  youth  he 
had  aided  to  make  free.  Every-where  he  was  welcomed  by 
tokens  of  the  gratitude  and  love  of  the  people.  He  stood 
with  reverent  affection  at  the  tomb  of  Washington;  he  laid 


La  Fayette. 


232  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

the  corner-stone  of  Bunker  Hill  Monument  on  the  spot 
where  Warren  had  fallen  fifty  years  before ;  and  when  he  re 
turned  home,  it  was  in  a  national  frigate,  named  The  Brandy- 
wine  in  honor  of  his  first  battle  in  the  cause  of  American 
freedom. 

406.  Removal  of  Indians. — In  1825  Mr.  Monroe  rec 
ommended  to  Congress  the  removal  of  all  Indian  tribes  to 
the  country  west  of  the  Mississippi,   far  beyond  the   limits 
of  the  states  and  territories  then  existing.     The  Creeks  and 
Cherokees  of  Georgia  had  so  improved  their  lands  that  they 
were   unwilling   to   remove.     At  last,   however,   terms  were 
agreed  upon, — a  large   sum   of   money   to   be  paid   by  the 
United  States,  with  a  guarantee  of  undisturbed  possession  of 
lands  in  the  Indian  Territory, — and  under  the  two  following 
presidents  the  removal  was  effected. 

407.  The    Cherokees,    owning    immense    numbers    of 
cattle,  horses,  hogs,  and  sheep,  were  the  most  civilized  of 
all  the  tribes.     Mills,  salt  works,  churches,  schools,  and  well- 
ordered  farms  soon  rewarded  their  industry  in  their  western 
homes.     Native  merchants  sold  the  cotton  and  other  prod 
ucts  of  their  lands  for  merchandise.     Spinning,  weaving,  and 
other  mechanical  arts  found  place  among  them,  though  plant 
ing  and  cattle-raising  are  their  chief   employments.     Many 
of  their  men  are  highly  educated,  and  their  government  is 
carried  on  under  written  laws  with  a  dignity  and  propriety 
not  always  to  be  found  among  people  longer  civilized. 

408.  The  Creeks  are  less  united,  each  chief  having  his 
own  village  and  retainers;  but  they,  too,  are  peaceful  culti 
vators   of    the   soil,    and    export   great   quantities   of  grain. 
They  are  less  given  to  manufactures  than  the  Cherokees. 

Read  Monroe's  "Tour  of  Observation  through  the  North-eastern  and 
North-western  states  in  1817;"  Life  of  Monroe  in  "National  Portrait 
Gallery  of  Distinguished  Americans,"  Vol.  II. 


NOTES.  233 


NOTES. 

1.  James  Monroe  (b.  1758,  d.  1831)  was  a  Virginian  by  birth,  and  was 
educated  at  William  and  Mary  College.    Daring  the  Revolution  he  fought 
as  a  subordinate  officer  at  Trenton,  Brandy  wine,  Germantown,  and  Mon- 
mouth.  arid  after  the  war  took  a  prominent  part  in  politics,  both  in  the 
Virginia  Assembly  and  in  Congress.    He  appreciated  the  weakness  and 
inefficiency  of  the  general  government  under  the  tirst  articles  of  confed 
eration,  and  the  Constituent  Convention  (2314)  was  the  ultimate  result  of 
his  motion  in  Congress  to  invest  that  body  with  the  power  to  regulate 
trade   between   the   states.    However,  in  the  Virginia   Convention   he 
strongly  opposed  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  as  submitted,  thinking 
it  conferred  too  much  power  on  the  general  government.    His  conduct  as 
minister  plenipotentiary  to  France,  to  which  office  he  was  appointed  in 
1794,  greatly  offended  the  administration,  whose  policy  he  opposed,  and  he 
was  recalled.    From  1799  to  1802  he  was  governor  of  Virginia,  and  was 
then  sent  by  Jefferson  to  negotiate  for  the  purchase  of  Louisiana.    In  1811 
he  was  again  elected  governor  of  Virginia,  and  during  the  same  year  was 
appointed  by  Madison  as  his  Secretary  of  State.    He  also  held  the  position 
of  Secretary  of  War  at  the  same  time,  and  finding  the  treasury  empty, 
he  pledged  his  own  means  in  order  to  secure  the  defense  of  New  Orleans. 
Under  Monroe's  administration  party  lines  disappeared,  and  the  period 
carne  to  be  known  as  "  the  era  of  good  feeling."    He  was  a  man  of  sterling 
character,  and  worked  earnestly  for  the  good  of  the  whole  country.    His 
administration  gave  new  life  to  every  branch  of  the  public  service,  and 
the  resources  of  the  country  were  developed  in  an  unprecedented  man 
ner.    He  died  in  New  York  City  July  4th,  1831,  and  was  buried  there ;  but 
in  1858  his  remains  were  removed  in  state  to  Richmond,  Virginia,  and 
there  re-interred  in  the  Hollywood  Cemetery. 

2.  Henry  Clay  (6.  1777,  d.  1852)  was  born  near  Richmond,  Va.    His 
father,  a  Baptist  preacher,  died  when  Henry  was  five  years  old.    His 
mother  married  a  second  time,  and  removed  to  Kentucky,  leaving  Henry 
at  work  as  clerk  in  a  retail  store  in  Richmond.    He  soon  abandoned  this 
position,  however,  and  became  a  copyist  in  a  law  office.    Licensed  as  a 
lawyer  in  1797,  he  removed  to  Lexington,  Ky.,  and  soon  established  a 
flourishing  practice  through  his  remarkable  power  of  influencing  juries. 
He  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  discussion  over  the  constitution  drawn 
up  for  the  state  of  Kentucky,  and  in  1803  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
state  legislature.    In  1806,  although  hardly  of  legal  age,  Clay  was  chosen  to 
fill  a  vacancy  in  the  United  States  Senate.    Here  he  made  an  impression 
by  warmly  advocating  the  policy  of  internal  improvement.    The  follow 
ing  year  he  was  again  elected  to  the  legislature  of  Kentucky  and  was  ap 
pointed  speaker.    While  in  this  office  he  was  accused  as  a  demagogue  by 
Mr.  Humphrey  Marshall ;  a  duel  ensued,  in  which  both  parties  were 
wounded.    Clay's  popularity  continuing,  he  was  sent  to  the  House  of 
Representatives  in  1811,  and  at  his  first  appearance  was  made  speaker, 
an  honor  unprecedented  since  the  meeting  of  the  first  Congress.    He  was 
a  strong  advocate  for  the  war  against  Great  Britain,  and,  in  fact,  may  be 
said  to  have  forced  Madison  into  his  declaration ;  at  its  close  he  was  sent 
to  negotiate  the  peace  of   Ghent  (§393).    Clay's  weighty  speeches  also 
brought  about  the  recognition  of  the  South  American  states  (§404).    In 
1824  five  candidates  were  nominated  for  the  presidency,  Clay  being  one 
of  them.    As  no  one  received  the  requisite  number  of  votes,  Congress 
had  to  choose  among  the  three  highest  candidates,  Andrew  Jackson, 
John  Quincy  Adams,  and  William  H.  Crawford.    Clay  and  his  friends 
voted  for  Adams,  who  was  elected,  and  when  the  latter  appointed  Clay 
his  Secretary  of  State  the  cry  of  "  Bargain ! "  was  immediately  raised. 
This  charge  occasioned  a  duel  between  Clay  and  John  Randolph,  in  which 
neither  was  hurt.    Clay  had  retired  from  public  life  in  1842,  but  in  1848  he 
was  again  sent  to  the  Senate,  where  he  struggled  hard  to  avert  the  great 
battle  on  the  slavery  question.    Unfortunately  his  health  gave  way,  and 
in  1851  he  was  compelled  to  retire  to  private  life,  and  in  the  following 
year,  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  July,  he  died.    Congress  adjourned  on  the 
news  of  his  death,  and  the  following  day  eulogies  were  delivered  in  both 
jSenate  and  House.    New  York  and  the  chief  cities  of  Kentucky  honored 
the  day  of  his  funeral. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

TENTH    ADMINISTRATION,    A.    D.    1825-1829. 

John  Quincy  Adams,  President.  John  C.  Calhoun,  Vice-president. 

409.  The    Sixth   President. — Among  four  candidates 
for  the  presidency  in  the  autumn  of  1824,  the  electors  failed 
to  make  a  choice;    the  decision,   therefore,  devolved  again 
(§35°)  uP°n  the  House  of  Representatives,  o^d  John  Quincy 
Adams?    of    Massachusetts,    son    of    the    second    President 
(§340),  received  the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 
John   C.    Calhoun*  of   South  Carolina,   was  Vice-president, 
and  Henry  Clay  became  Secretary  of  State. 

410.  Character  of   the  Younger   Adams. — Trained 
from  his  childhood  in  the  service  of   his  country,   the  new 
President  was  a  statesman  of   great  ability  and  of   upright 
character.     He  had  filled  several  important  foreign  missions, 
and   had  been  at  different  times  senator  and  Secretary  of 
State.     Nevertheless  his  administration,  though  peaceful  and 
prosperous,  was  not  altogether  popular.     With  the  multipli 
cation  of  industries  the  conflict  of  interests  became  more 
violent. 

411.  Public   Improvements. — One  party  desired  that 
Congress  should  appropriate  money  for  great  public  works 
which  were  needed  to  develop  the  resources  of  the  country; 
the  other  insisted  that  each  section  must  take  care  of  itself. 
The  greatest  of  these  works  then  in  progress  was  the  Erie 
Canal,  which  connects  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie  with  Hud 
son  River,  and  the  grain-fields  of  the  West  with  the  markets 
of  Europe.     It  was  formally  opened  in  October,  1825,  when 
the   Governor  of  New  York  and  many  guests  sailed  from 
Buffalo  to  the  city  of  New  York,  in  a  state-barge  attended 
by  music  and  the  roar  of  cannon. 

(234) 


FIRST  RAILROAD  IN  AMERICA. 


235 


412.  Within  a  few  years  the  first  steam  locomotive  in  the 
United  States  was  put  in  service  on  the  ' (  Dela 
ware  and  Hudson  Canal  Railroad."     Steam  was 

soon  introduced  on  the  "Baltimore  and  Ohio"  and  the 
"Albany  and  Schenectady"  railroads,  and  on  that  of  South 
Carolina  from  Charleston  to  Hamburg.  Gradually  the  iron  net 
work  overspread  the  whole  country,  and  the  remotest  corners 
of  the  land  were  brought 
into  swift  and  constant 
communication  with  the 
great  cities  of  the  coast. 

413.  The  semi-cen 
tennial    of    American 
Independence  was  cel 
ebrated  with  joy  and  grat 
itude,  July  4,  1826.     On 
that   day   the    President's 
venerable     father      and 
Thomas  Jefferson  died  at 
their     widely     separated 
homes,    in    Massachusetts 


and  Virginia.     Fifty  years 


John  Quincy  Adams. 


before,  both  had  set  their  names  to  the  Declaration  which 
gave  their  country  her  rightful  place  among  the  nations; 
both  had  served  her  in  missions  abroad  and  in  the  highest 
office  at  home. 

414.  The  President  absolutely  refused  to  employ  the  in 
fluence  of  the  government  to  secure  his  re-election :  he  was 
opposed  by  many  of  his  own  officers,  and  General  Andrew 
Jackson  received  the  greatest  number  of  votes.  Soon  after 
his  retirement  from  the  presidency,  Mr.  Adams  returned  to 
Washington  as  representative  from  Massachusetts.  He 
served  his  native  state  in  that  office  until  1848,  when  he 
died  at  his  post  in  the  Capitol.  He  had  been  in  high  public 
service  fifty-three  years. 


236  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


NOTES. 

1.  John  Quincy  Adams  was  born  at  Braintree,  Mass.,  July,  1767.    As  a 
boy  he  was  very  precocious,  and  attracted  attention  wherever  he  went 
for  his  vigor  of  mind  and  body.    At  the  age  of  eleven  he  accompanied 
his  father  to  France,  and  was  placed  at  school  in  Paris.    In  the  summer 
of  1780  he  went  with  his  father  to  Holland  and  entered  the  University  of 
Leyden.    For  fourteen  months  he  was  private  secretary  to  the  American 
minister  to  Russia,  and  after  this  service  he  made  the  tour  of  Sweden, 
Norway,  the  Netherlands,  France,  and  England.    He  was  a  youth  of  keen 
powers  of  observation,  and  kept  a  faithful  record  of  all  that  he  saw  and 
heard  in  these  foreign  lands.     Returning   to   America,  young  Adams 
entered  the  junior  class  at  Harvard  College,  and  graduated  in  1788.    Three 
years  later  he  was  admitted  to  the  Boston  bar.    A  series  of  trenchant 
political  letters  which  he  contributed  to  the  newspapers  about  this  time 
drew  attention  to  Adams  as  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  power.    Presi 
dent  Washington  appointed  him  minister  to  The  Hague,  and  later  to  Por 
tugal.    In  1797  he  was  married  to  Miss  Johnson,  arid  was  transferred  by 
his  father— then.  President— to  Berlin.    In  1803  he  was  chosen  United  States 
senator  by  the  Federalists.    In  1809  he  was  appointed  minister  to  Russia. 
He  negotiated  commercial  treaties  with  Prussia,  Sweden,  and  Great  Brit 
ain,  and  was  the-  most  conspicuous  of  the  American  commissioners  in 
the  important  treaty  of  Ghent,  1814.    He  was  President  Monroe's  Secre 
tary  of  State  during  the  eight  years  of    his  administration,  which  posi 
tion  he  filled  witli  signal  ability.    In  the  presidential  election  of  1824  the 
three  candidates  besides  John  Quincy  Adams  were  Andrew  Jackson, 
Henry  Clay,  and  William  H.  Crawford — all  four  belonging  to  the  same 
political   party.    Jackson  received  ninety-nine  electoral  votes,  Adams 
eighty-four,  Crawford   forty-one,    and    Clay    thirty-seven.    Henry   Clay 
threw  his  influence  in  favor  of  Adams,  which  secured  his  election.    The 
friends  of  the  other  two  defeated  candidates  formed  a  coalition  against  the 
new  President  which  made  his  office  very  uncomfortable,  and  insured  his 
defeat  for  a  second  term.    He  entered  Congress  in  1831,  and  ably  repre 
sented  his  district  for  seventeen  years,  until  stricken  with  death  on  the 
floor  of  the  House  of  Representatives  February  21st,  1848.    "  John  Quincy 
Adams,"  says  the  Hon.  George  S.  Hilliard,  "  had  more  learning,  perhaps, 
but  John  Adams  had  much  more  genius.    In  energy,  spirit,  firmness,  and 
indomitable  courage,  John  Q,.  Adams  was  his  father's  equal;  in  self- 
command,  in  political  prudence,  and  even,  perhaps,  in  capacity  for  hard 
work,  his  superior.    In  some  respects  the  son  was  far  more  fortunate  than 
the  father.    The  brilliant  period  of  his  career  was  towards  its  close.    The 
longer  he  lived  the  higher  he  rose,  and  he  died  as  such  men  prefer  to  die, 
still  an  admired  and  trusted  champion,  with  harness  on  his  back  and 
spear  in  hand."    Adams's  strength  in  debate  while  in  Congress  gained  for 
him  the  title  of  "  the  old  man  eloquent." 

2.  John  Caldwell  Calhoun  (b.  1782,  d.  1850).    This  great  statesman,  and 
champion  of  southern  rights  and  opinions,  was  born  in  Abbeville  Dis 
trict,  South  Carolina.    His  ancestors  on  both  sides  were  Irish  Presby 
terians.    In  youth  he  was  very  studious,  and  made  the  best  use  of  such 
opportunities  for  education  as  the  frontier  settlement  afforded.    He  grad 
uated  at  Yale  College  in  1804,  and  studied  law  at  Litchfield,  Connecticut. 
In  1808  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature  of  South  Carolina;  and,  three 
years  later,  he  was  chosen  to  the  national  House  of  Representatives. 
During  the  six  years  that  he  remained  in  the  House,  he  took  an  active 
and  prominent  part  in  the  stirring  events  of  the  time.    In  1817  he  was 
appointed  Secretary  of  War,  and  held  the  office  seven  years.    From  1825 
to  1832  he  was  Vice-president  of  the  United  States.    He  then  resigned  this 
office,  and  took  his  seat  as  senator  from  South  Carolina.    In  1844  Presi 
dent  Tyler  called  him  to  his  cabinet  as  Secretary  of  State ;  and,  in  1845, 
he  returned  to  the  Senate,  where  he  remained  till  his  death.    During  all 
his  public  life  Mr.  Calhoun  was  active  and  out-spoken.    His  earnestness 
and  logical  force  commanded  the  respect  of  those  who  differed  most 
widely  from  him  in  opinion.    He  took  the  most  advanced  ground  in 
favor  of  "State  Rights,"  and  defended  slavery  as  neither  morally  nor 
politically  wrong.    His  foes  generally  conceded  his  honesty,  and  respected 
his  ability ;  while  his  friends  regarded  him  as  little  less  than  an  oracle. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


ELEVENTH  AND  TWELFTH  ADMINISTRATIONS,   A.  D.    1829-1837. 


Andrew  Jackson,  Pres. 


John  C.  Calhoun,  Martin  Van  Buren,  Vice-pres. 


415.  The    Seventh    President.  —  President   Jackson1 
differed  from  his  predecessor  in  his  lack  of   education  and 
early  advantages;  but  he  was  a  successful  and  popular  gen 
eral,  and  no  man  doubted  his  courage,   honesty,  or  energy 
of    will.      He    began    by 

making  a  clean  sweep  of 
all  public  offices,  dismissing 
ten  times  more  men  in  one 
year  than  all  former  presi 
dents  had  removed  since 
the  adoption  of  the  Consti 
tution.  Their  places  were 
filled  by  his  political 
friends.  The  "system  of 
rotation,"  thus  begun,  has 
ever  since  prevailed,  on  the 
principle  that  '  *  the  spoils 
of  the  enemy  belong  to 

the   Victor."     '  Andrew  Jackson. 

416.  Violent  debates  arose  in  Congress  on  questions  con 
cerning  the  public  lands  and  the  raising  of  a  revenue  for  the 
government.     The  opposing  interests  of  the  North  and  the 
South  now  became  more  fiercely  clamorous.      Daniel  Web 
ster,2  of  Massachusetts,  and  Robert  Hayne,3  of  South  Caro 
lina,  argued  with  great  eloquence,  the  one  for  ' '  Liberty  and 
Union,  now  and  forever,"  the  other  for  "State  Rights"  of 
nullification  or  secession. 

(237) 


238  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

417.  In  1832  additional  duties  were  imposed  by  Congress 
upon  foreign  goods.  A  convention  in  South  Carolina  de 
clared  the  act  to  be  null,  and  prepared  to  resist  at  Charles 
ton  the  collection  of  the  duties.  The  legislature  of  that 
state  even  threatened  to  secede  and  place  Mr.  Calhoun,  then 
Vice-president  of  the  United  States,  at  the  head  of  a 
"Southern  Confederacy"  in  case  the  government  should 
attempt  to  enforce  its  laws.  But  the  prompt  appearance  of 

war  vessels  and  an  army 
under  General  Scott  proved 
the  sincerity  and  the  power 
of  the  government.  Mr. 
Clay  exerted  his  peace 
making  influence  in  another 
compromise  bill,  providing 
for  a  gradual  reduction  of 
duties,  and  the  excitement 
was  allayed. 

418.  Several  Indian  dis 
turbances  occurred  during 
this  administration.  The 
Sacs  and  Foxes  of  Illinois 
had  sold  their  lands  to  the 

John  C.  Calhoun. 

United  States;  but  they  re 
fused  to  remove,  and,  in  concert  with  the  Winnebagoes  of  Wis 
consin,  attacked  the  miners  who  were  now  congregating  in  the 
rich  lead  region  about  Galena.  The  Indians  were  defeated 
in  several  battles  by  government  troops,  and  in  1832  their 
noted  chief,  Black  Hawk,  with  others,  was  taken  as  a  cap 
tive  to  Washington.  Having  witnessed  the  power  and 
wealth  of  the  United  States  as  displayed  in  the  eastern  cities, 
the  chiefs  returried  and  counseled  their  people  to  lay  down 
their  arms.  The  Winnebagoes,  as  well  as  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes,  now  exchanged  their  lands  for  tracts  west  of  the  Mis 
sissippi,  with  yearly  supplies  of  money  and  provisions. 


INDIAN  WAR  IN  FLORIDA. 


239 


419.  The    Seminole    war   was   longer   and   more    ob 
stinate.     The  everglades  of  Florida  afforded  refuge  to  many 
fugitive   slaves,   who,   marrying   Seminoles,   became   closely 
allied  with  them   in  inter 
ests,    and    increased    their 

power.  A  daughter  of 
one  of  these  marriages 
was  the  wife  of  Osceola,  a 
famous  and  powerful  chief. 
Nevertheless,  in  visiting 
with  her  husband  a  United 
States  fort,  she  was  seized 
and  carried  away  as  the 
slave  of  a  family  from 
whom  her  mother  had  es 
caped.  Her  husband,  ex 
pressing  his  rage,  was 
thrown  into  irons. 

420.  Osceola's  Venge 
ance. — Meanwhile  a  treaty   had   been  made  with  certain 
chiefs  for  the  removal  of  the  Seminoles  to  lands  west  of  the 
Mississippi.     Osceola    pretended    to    consent,    and   was   re 
leased;  but  it  was  only  to  plot  a  terrible  vengeance  against 
the  whites.     General  Thompson,  who  had  so  grossly  ill-used 
him,  was  surprised  and  killed;  a  hundred  men  under  Major 
Dade  were  massacred  the  same  day  in  Wahoo  Swamp.     The 
war  was   relentless  on   both   sides.     Osceola  was   taken   at 
length  by   treachery,    and   died  of  fever  in  Fort   Moultrie. 
His  people  kept  up  their  resistance  for  seven  years,  in  im 
penetrable  marshes,   whose  noxious  vapors  fought  for  them, 
destroying  thousands  of  lives  among  their  assailants.     Gen 
erals  Scott  and  Taylor  at  length  completed  the  work  which 
Jackson  had  begun,  and  the  war  ended  in  1842,  after  a  cost 
of  thirty  millions  of  dollars  and  innumerable  lives. 

421.  No  other  President  made  such  unsparing  use  of  his 


Daniel  Webster. 


240  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


veto  power  as  did  Jackson.     Congress  having  passed  an  act 
renewing  the  charter  of  the  United  States  Bank, 
which  was  to  expire  in  1836,  he  refused  his  sig 
nature,    and   proceeded    of   his    own    authority    against   the 
advice  of  his  cabinet,  to  remove  the  public  funds  deposited 
in  its  vaults. 

422.  Prosperous  Times. — These  funds  were  distributed 
among  eighty-nine  banks  of  deposit  in  various  states,  which 
lent  them  out  on  easy  terms  to  merchants  and  farmers,  and 
thus  increased   the  mania   for  wild  speculations  which  had 
taken  possession  of  every  class.     Public  lands  were  bought 
to  the  amount  of  $24,000,000  in  a  year.     Villages  and  even 
cities  were  laid   out   by  hundreds;   great  works  were  pro 
jected,  and  state  debts  were  incurred  for  their  completion. 
Foreign  goods  were  imported  in  greater  quantities  than  ever 
before.     Foreign  immigrants  thronged  to  the  fertile  lands  of 
the  North-west.     Foreign  capital,  disturbed  by  revolutions  in 
Europe,   sought  investments  here.      Proud  of  its  great,  rich 
territory,  and  of  its  rapid  growth  in  wealth,  the  ' '  universal 
Yankee  nation"  doubtless  offended  the  taste  of  its  less  fortu 
nate  contemporaries,   and  acquired  a  reputation  for  conceit 
which  it  has  not  even  yet  lived  down. 

423.  A  Full  Treasury. — The  government  was  not  only 
out  of  debt,  but  had  in  the  banks  a  surplus  of  $37,000,000 
beyond  all  needful   reserves.     This  was  distributed  among 
the   several  states  for  public  uses,   the  principal  to  be  re 
turned  when  called  for.      The   Middle  and  Western   states 
used  this  additional  income  in  the  improvement  of  thorough 
fares  and  the  perfecting  of  their  systems  of  public  schools; 
the  Southern  States,  largely,  in  increasing  the  area  of  cotton 
production;  for  the  improved  mill  machinery  of  England  de 
manded,  at  good  prices,  all  the  cotton  that  American  fields 
could  furnish. 

424.  The  Specie  Circular. — While  the  banks  were  em 
barrassed  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  government  money,  Pres- 


NOTES.  241 


ident  Jackson  issued  his  famous  Specie  Circular,  requiring  all 
payments  for  public  lands  to  be  made  in  coin.  This  was 
only  a  reasonable  precaution,  for  such  a  multitude  of  banks 
had  been  founded  for  mere  speculation  that  their  notes  might 
easily  become  worthless,  but  in  the  excited  state  of  the 
money  market  it  hastened  a  crisis  of  which  we  shall  learn  in 
the  next  chapter. 

425.  Troubles  with  France. — The  President's  foreign 
policy   was   equally   energetic   and   decisive.     The   king  of 
France  had  agreed  in   1831  to  pay   $5,000,000  for  damage 
done  to  American  commerce  during  the  wars  of  Napoleon. 
Payment  being  delayed,  President  Jackson  proposed  to  make 
reprisals   on   French   merchant   ships.      England  then  inter 
vened   as   mediator;    France   paid   her   debts,  and  war  was 
averted. 

426.  At  the  autumn  election  of  1836  Martin  Van  Bnren, 
of  New  York,   was  chosen  to  be   President.     The  electors 
failed  to  unite  upon  a  Vice-president,  and  the  Senate  chose 
for   its   presiding   officer   Colonel    Richard    M.    Johnson,    of 
Kentucky.     Arkansas  was  admitted  as  a  state  in  June,  1836; 
Michigan  in  the  following  January. 

Read  "  Lives"  of  Jackson  by  Eaton,  Cobbett,  or  Kendall.  Account 
of  his  administration  in  Williams's  and  Lossing's  "National  History 
of  the  United  States." 

NOTES. 

1.  Andrew  Jackson  was  born  at  the  Waxhaw  settlement,  North  Caro 
lina,  March  15,  1767.  His  father  had  died  a  short  time  before,  and  the 
hapless  orphan's  lot  at  first  seemed  an  unpromising  one.  At  the  age  of 
thirteen  he  volunteered  under  General  Sumter,  and  was  taken  prisoner 
the  next  year.  After  the  Revolution  he  supported  himself  by  working 
at  saddlery  and  teaching  school,— his  spare  hours  being  employed  in  the 
study  of  law.  Admitted  to  the  bar  in  1786,  he  removed  to  Nashville  two 
years  later;  and,  when  Tennessee  became  a  territory.  President  Wash 
ington  appointed  young  Jackson  district  attorney.  His  law  practice  at 
this  period  was  large  and  lucrative.  His  popularity  was  such  that  he  was 
chosen,  in  1796,  as  the  first  Representative  in  Congress  from  the  new  state 
of  Tennessee.  The  next  year  he  was  made  United  States  Senator,  but 
soon  resigned  to  accept  a  supreme  judgeship  in  his  own  state.  This  posi 
tion  he  filled  until  1804,  when  he  retired  from  the  bench,  went  into  trade, 
and  settled  on  his  plantation—"  the  Hermitage  "—near  Nashville.  Jack 
son's  violent  temper,  and  his  quickness  to  resent  an  injury,  involved  him 
U.  S.  H.— 16. 


242  HIST  OR  Y  OF  THE  UNITED  STA  TES. 


in  many  personal  quarrels.  In  a  duel  with  Charles  Dickinson,  in  1806,  he 
was  severely  wounded,  and  his  opponent  was  killed.  When  Aaron  Burr 
came  west  in  1805,  and  again  in  1806,  he  was  the  guest  of  Jackson  ;  and  the 
Tennessee  politician  at  first  entered  warmly  into  his  plans,  believing 
them  to  mean  simply  war  against  Spain.  But  when  Jackson  discovered 
the  treasonable  designs  of  Burr  he  at  once  denounced  him,  and  informed 
President  Jefferson  of  his  suspicions. 

Andrew  Jackson's  military  career  may  be  said  to  have  begun  in  the 
Creek  War  of  1813.  In  May,  1814,  he  was  made  a  major-general  in  the 
United  States  army,  and  marched  without  orders  upon  Mobile  and  Pen- 
sacola.  He  next  moved  upon  New  Orleans,  and  by  skillful  maneuvering 
and  great  generalship  won  his  famous  victory  of  January  8,  1815  (§395). 
The  Seminole  War  was  his  next  opportunity  for  the  display  of  military 
skill.  In  1823  Jackson  was  again  sent  to  the  Senate,  and  in  1824  received 
fifteen  more  electoral  votes  for  President  than  John  Quincy  Adams,  but 
the  decision  of  the  House  gave  to  Adams  the  high  office.  In  the  election 
of  1828,  however,  Jackson  received  one  hundred  and  seventy -eight  votes, 
while  but  eighty-three  were  cast  for  Adams.  At  his  second  election 
Andrew  Jackson  received  the  votes  of  all  but  seven  states.  His  strong 
common  sense,  unswerving  honesty,  indomitable  energy,  and  shining 
patriotism  made  amends  for  the  lack  of  softer  and  more  refined  traits ; 
marked  his  administration  with  deeds  of  moral  courage  ;  and  stamped  it 
as  a  political  and  social  era  in  the  history  of  our  country.  His  foreign 
policy  was  highly  creditable.  The  nullification  movement,  the  bank 
war,  the  Indian  troubles,  and  the  hot  debates  on  the  currency,  tariff,  and 
slavery  questions — all  together  made  Jackson's  term  of  office  an  exciting 
one.  He  was  glad  to  retire  to  the  quiet  scenes  of  his  "  Hermitage,"  where 
lie  died  of  dropsy,  June,  1845. 

2.  Daniel  Webster  (born  in  Salisbury,  N.  H.,  1782,  died  at  Marshfield, 
Mass.,  1852)  had  as  a  boy  no  educational  advantages  beyond  the  home  in 
struction  of  his  father  and  mother,  and  a  few  terms  in  the  district  schools 
of  the  neighborhood.    He  passed  nine  months  of  diligent  study  at  Phillips 
Exeter  Academy,  and  finished  his  preparation  for  college  in  the  family 
of  a  minister  at  Boscawen.    He  graduated  from  Dartmouth,  with  high 
honors,  in  1801.    During  his  college  course  he  had  shown  special  pro 
ficiency  in  the  classics,  in  English  literature  and  history,  in  vigor  of  writ 
ing,  and  power  in  debate.    At  this  period  he  is  described  by  his  friend, 
George  T.  Curtis,  as  having  "  a  faculty  for  labor  something  prodigious,  a 
memory  disciplined  by  methods  not  taught  him  by  others,  and  an  in 
tellect  expanded  far  beyond  his  years.    He  was  abstemious,  religious,  of 
the  highest  sense  of  honor,  and  of  the  most  elevated  deportment.    His 
manners  were  genial,  his  affections  warm,  his  conversation  was  brilliant 
and  instructive,  his  temperament  cheerful,  his  gayety  overflowing.    He 
was  beloved,  admired,  and  courted  by  all  who  knew  him."    In  1805  Daniel 
Webster  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Boston,  and  located  in  Portsmouth, 
N.  H.,  in  1807;  in  1808  he  was  married  to  Miss  Grace  Fletcher;  in  1812  he 
was  elected  to  Congress  by  the  Federalists,  and  was  a  prominent  member 
of  the  House  for  two  terms.    Then  he  removed  to  Boston,  and,  during  the 
busy  practice  of  his  profession  for  the  next  seven  years  attained  the  repu 
tation  of  the  greatest  lawyer  of  his  time.    In  1823  Webster  was  again  sent 
to  the  national  House  of  Representatives,  and  was  twice  re-elected ;  but, 
in  1827,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Senate,  of  which  body  he  was,  perhaps, 
the  most  conspicuous  figure  during  the  next  twelve  years.    Webster  mar 
ried  a  second  time  in  1829.    As  Secretary  of  State  under  Harrison  and 
Tyler,  and  again  under  Fillmore,  he  managed  the  foreign  affairs  of  the 
nation  with  consummate  skill.    He  was  returned  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1845,  where  he  continued  until  he  entered  Fillmore's  cabinet  in 
1850.    In  May,  1852,  he  was  thrown  from  a  carriage  and  severely  injured. 
This  accident,  no  doubt,  hastened  his  death. 

3.  Robert  Young  Hayne  (6.  1791,  d.  1840)  entered  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1823,  and  served  two  terms.    He  was  educated  for  the  law, 
fought  in  the  War  of  1812,  was  speaker  of  the  house  in  the  South  Caro 
lina  legislature,  and    attorney-general   for  the  state  before  coming  to 
Washington.    Before  his  senatorial  term  was  ended  he  was  chosen  gov 
ernor  of  South  Carolina,  and  boldly  defied  President  Jackson  to  enforce 
his  proclamation  in  regard  to  the  nullification  acts. 

Hayne  possessed  brilliant  talents,  and  was  especially  strong  in  debate. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


THIRTEENTH   ADMINISTRATION,    A.    D.     1837-1841. 


Martin  Van  Buren,  President. 


Richard  M.  Johnson,  Vice-president. 


427.  The    Eighth  President.  —  President  Van  Buren1 
was  of  the  same  political  party  with  his  predecessor,  under 
whom  he  had  been  Vice-president  the  last  four  years.     His 
term  began  with  panic  and  ruin  in  the  commercial  world, 
owing  partly  to  the  reaction 

that  must  always  follow  ex 
travagant  speculation,  partly 
to  bad  harvests  and  high 
prices  of  food,  partly  to  a 
check  in  the  demand  for 
cotton,  and  partly  to  abrupt 
money  movements  under 
Jackson's  administration. 

428.  Commercial  Dis 
asters. — A   great   firm   in 
New  Orleans  failed  on  the 
day  of  Van  Buren's  inaugu 
ration;   within  two  months 
New  York  merchants  had 
failed  to  the  amount  of  one 

hundred  millions,  and  those  of  New  Orleans  to  half  that 
sum.  Every  part  of  the  country  shared  the  distress. 
Banks  failed;  public  works  and  manufactures  ceased;  hun 
dreds  of  thousands  of  people  were  thrown  out  of  employ 
ment,  and  multitudes  lacked  bread.  Eight  states  were 
bankrupt,  and  even  the  general  government  had  to  delay 
the  payment  of  interest  on  its  bonds. 

(243) 


Martin  Van  Buren. 


244  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


429.  The  Bank  of  the 
United  States  had  been 
re-chartered  by  the  state  of 
Pennsylvania.  It  failed  in 
1841  for  the  third  and  last 
time,  but  all  its  debts  were 
ultimately  paid  in  full.  So  were  those  of  the  Union  and  of 
all  the  states  excepting  Mississippi  and  Florida;  but  it  was 
long  before  American  bonds  ceased  to  be  a  name  of  re 
proach  in  the  money-markets  of  Europe. 

430.  The  Sub-treasury  Law. — To  prevent  similar 
disasters  in  future,  the  President  proposed  an  act  requiring 
all  public  moneys  to  be  kept,  not  in  banks,  but  in  the 
treasury  at  Washington,  or  in  sub-treasuries  at  other  cities. 
Banks  were  required  to  limit  and  secure  their  operations  by 


SYMPATHY  WITH  CANADA.  245 

depositing  funds  with  the  government.  The  ' '  Sub-treasury 
Bill"  was  unpopular,  and  defeated  the  re-election  of  the 
President;  but  it  finally  became  a  law  in  1839,  and  though 
repealed  in  1841,  it  was  re-enacted  in  1846,  and  circumstan 
ces  have  proved  its  wisdom. 

431.  In  1837  Canada  was  in  rebellion  against  England, 
and  many  people  on  our  northern  border  wished  her  success. 
But  when  good  wishes   took    the    shape   of  arms   and  war 
material  for  the  insurgents,  the  President  ordered  all  citizens 
to   abstain    from   hostilities   under   penalty   of  forfeiting  the 
protection  of  their  government,  and  General  Scott  was  sent 
to   the   frontier  to  preserve  the  peace.      The  steamer   Caro 
line,  which  had  been  fitted  out  with  supplies  for  the  Cana 
dians,  was  seized  by  a  British  party,   and,  having  been  set 
on    fire,    was    allowed    to    drift    over    Niagara    Falls.  .    The 
boundary  line  between  Maine  and  New  Brunswick  was  addi 
tional    cause    of   trouble,    and    there    wras   great   excitement 
among  restless  spirits  who  were  eager  for  a  fight,  but  happily 
good  sense  prevailed;  the  President's  proclamation  was  re 
garded,  and  the  danger  of  war  passed  by. 

432.  The  Democratic  party  had  now  been  in  power 
forty   years,    with   the   exception   of    the    four    years    of   the 
second  Adams's  administration.     The  Whigs,  who  had  lately 
assumed  that  name  in  memory  of  revolutionary  times  (§248 
and   Note),  comprised  all   that  were  left  of  the  Federalists, 
with  those  who  for  various  reasons  had  become  dissatisfied 
with  Democratic  policy. 

433.  General  William  Henry  Harrison  was  the  Whig 
candidate  in  1840.      Memories  of  his  victories  at  Tippecanoe 
and  the  Thames  (§§368,   383),   together  with  the  affection 
inspired  by  his  benevolent  and  upright  character,  made  the 
campaign  a  very  enthusiastic  one.     Harrison's  simple  frontier 
life  was  ridiculed  by  his  opponents  in  the  nick-names  "Log 
Cabin  Candidate"  and  "Hard  Cider  Campaign;"  but  these 


246  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

were  caught  up  by  his  partisans  and  made  their  rallying 
cries.  Harrison  was  elected  by  an  immense  majority,  with 
John  Tyler,  of  Virginia,  as  Vice-president. 

NOTES. 

1.  Martin  Van  Buren  (6. 1782,  d.  1862)  was  born  at  Kinderhook,  N.  Y., 
and  after  being  educated  as  a  lawyer  entered  on  his  political  career  at  the 
early  age  of  eighteen,  when  he  was  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  nominating 
convention  of  the  Democratic  party.  In  1812,  and  again  in  1816,  he  was 
elected  to  the  state  senate,  and  from  1815  to  1819  he  was  attorney-general 
of  New  York.  Not  being  entirely  satisfied  with  some  of  the  Democratic 
principles,  he  reorganized  the  party  in  his  own  state  in  1818,  and  this  new 
faction  held  control  of  public  affairs  there  for  twenty  years.  In  1821  Van 
Buren  was  elected  a  member  of  the  convention  called  to  revise  the  New 
York  state  constitution,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  discussions  of 
that  body.  During  the  same  year  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate,  and  was  re-elected  in  1827.  He,  however,  resigned  in  1828  to  ac 
cept  the  office  of  governor  of  New  York.  President  Jackson  made  Van 
Buren  his  Secretary  of  State  in  1829,  but  the  latter  resigned  in  1831,  and  a 
few  months  later  was  sent  as  minister  to  England.  After  his  arrival  in 
that  country  the  Senate  refused  to  confirm  his  nomination,  claiming  that 
as  Secretary  of  State  he  had  pursued  a  weak  course  toward  England  in 
reference  to  questions  of  trade  between  her  West  Indian  colonies  and 
America.  In  return  for  this  piece  of  "  party  persecution,"  the  Democrats 
elected  Van  Buren  Vice-president  in  1832  over  the  very  Senate  that  had 
refused  to  confirm  him.  In  January?  1837,  the  electoral  vote  for  President 
stood:  Martin  Van  Buren,  170;  William  H.  Harrison.  73 ;  Hugh  L.  White, 
26 ;  Daniel  Webster,  14 ;  W.  P.  Mangum,  11 ;  and  the  following  March  Van 
Buren  took  his  seat. 

Although  defeated  in  1840  by  such  a  sweeping  majority,  Van  Buren's 
friends  tried  to  effect  his  renornination  for  the  presidency  in  1844,  but  they 
failed  in  their  object  through  his  openly  avowed  opposition  to  the  an 
nexation  of  Texas.  Van  Buren  and  his  followers  withdrew  from  the 
Democratic  party  in  1848,  disagreeing  on  the  question  of  slavery  in  newly 
acquired  territories,  and  formed  a  new  party  known  as  the  "  Free  Dem 
ocrats."  Van  Buren  was  nominated  by  them  for  President,  but  was  de 
feated.  He  then  retired  permanently  from  politics,  passing  his  remain 
ing  days  in  the  pleasures  of  European  travel  and  in  the  quiet  seclusion 
of  his  estate  at  Kinderhook. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


FOURTEENTH    ADMINISTRATION,    A.    D.     1841-1845. 


William  H.  Harrison,  President. 


John  Tyler,  Vice-president. 


434.  The  Ninth  and  Tenth  Presidents. — President 
Harrison1    lived    only    one    month    after    his    inauguration. 
1  'Killed  by  office-seekers"  would  probably  be  the  true  ver 
dict;  for,   anxious  to  do  justice  to  all  men,  he  gave  to  the 
throng  of  applicants  time 

which  he  needed  for  re 
pose.  He  died  April  4, 
1841.  John  Tyler,2  of 
Virginia,  became  Presi 
dent,  retaining  the  same 
cabinet  which  Harrison 
had  appointed  and  the 
Senate  had  confirmed. 

435.  National    Bank 
Question. — On  the  ques 
tion     of    re-chartering     a 
National  Bank,    President 
Tyler  was  in  violent  oppo 
sition  to  his  party.     Twice 
a  bill  for  that  purpose  was 

passed  by  Congress,  and  twice  it  was  vetoed  by  the  Presi 
dent.  All  his  cabinet  resigned,  excepting  Mr.  Webster, 
Secretary  of  State,  who  was  engaged  in  negotiating  an  im 
portant  treaty  with  Great  Britain. 

436.  This  "Webster  and   Ashburton  Treaty"  dis 
posed  of  two  long  vexed  questions  between  the  two  coun- 

(247) 


William  H.  Harrison. 


248 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


tries. 


A.  D.  1842. 


437.    Dorr's    Rebellion.- 

rupted  by  "Dorr's  Rebellion" 


The  north-eastern  boundary-line  of  the  United  States 
was  fixed  where  it  still  remains ;  the  ' '  right  of 
search"  was  formally  renounced  by  Lord  Ash- 
burton  on  the  part  of  Great  Britain;  and  it  was  now  agreed 
that  the  navies  of  the  two  nations  should  unite  in  the  sup 
pression  of  the  slave-trade. 

-Domestic  peace  was  inter- 
in  Rhode  Island.  The  con 
stitution  of  that  state  was 
no  other  than  the  old  colo 
nial  charter  granted  by 
Charles  II.,  which  allowed 
only  property  owners  to 
vote,  and  in  other  respects 
was  unsuited  to  the  altered 
conditions  of  the  times. 
All  parties  agreed  that  there 
must  be  a  change,  but  in 
choosing  the  manner  of  it, 
the  "suffrage  party,"  with 
Thomas  Dorr3  at  its  head, 
was  opposed  to  that  of  "law 
and  order."  Dorr  and  his 
partisans  attempted  to  seize 
the  state  arsenal,  but  were  repulsed  by  the  militia  and  after 
wards  dispersed  by  United  States  forces.  The  "law  and 
order  party"  prevailed,  and  a  new  constitution  was  adopted 
in  1843. 

438.  The  Mormons. — Far  more  serious  difficulty  arose 
with  the  Mormons,  a  sect  founded  in  1830  at  Manchester, 
N.  Y.,  by  Joseph  Smith,4  who  pretended  to  have  received  a 
revelation  from  Heaven.  As  the  new  religion  promised  free 
dom  from  restraints,  its  followers  were  many ;  but  for  the  same 
reason  they  were  not  wanted  as  neighbors.  It  must  be  said, 
however,  that  they  were  more  orderly  than  a  large  part  of 


John  Tyler. 


TEXAN  INDEPENDENCE.  249 


the  community  about  them.  Being  expelled  from  Ohio  by 
the  citizens  in  1838,  and  from  Missouri  by  the  state  militia 
in  1839,  they  built  a  new  city  and  a  splendid  temple  at 
Nauvoo,  in  Illinois. 

439.  Brigham  Young  in  Utah. — Here  again  they  came 
into  collision  with  the  laws;    their  prophet  and  his  brother 
were  imprisoned,  and  were  killed  by  a  band  of 

ruffians  who  broke  open  the  jail.  At  length  the 
Mormons,  under  their  new  leader,  Brigham  Young,5  went 
beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  valley  of  the  Great 
Salt  Lake.  Here  their  industry  soon  transformed  the  arid 
plains  (§15)  into  blooming  gardens.  Recruits  flocked  in 
from  all  parts  of  the  world,  chiefly  from  Great  Britain  and 
northern  Europe.  In  1850  Utah  was  organized  as  a  terri 
tory  of  the  United  States,  and  Brigham  Young  was  ap 
pointed  by  Congress  to  be  its  governor.  His  opposition  to 
judges  and  other  officers  of  the  United  States  caused  him  to 
be  superseded  the  next  year,  but  he  continued  to  be  the 
prophet  and  absolute  chief  of  the  Mormons  until  his  death 
in  1877. 

440.  Texas. — The  most  exciting  question  of  Tyler's  ad 
ministration  concerned  the  fate  of  Texas.-     Until   1836  that 
great  country  was   part  of  the  republic  of    Mexico,   though 
the  most  powerful  party  among  its  citizens,   both   for  num 
bers  and  energy,  had  of  late  been  emigrants  from  the  United 
States.     Under  their  leadership6  Texas   declared   her  inde 
pendence  in  1835,  and  secured  it  the  next  year  by  the  de 
cisive  battle  of  San  Jacinto.6     She  then  asked  admission  to 
the  United  States,  but  was  refused.      The  application  was  re 
newed  in  1844,  the  Democrats  strongly  favoring  acceptance 
and  the  Whigs  opposing  it. 

441.  Annexation  of  Texas. — Mr.  Calhoun  frankly  de 
clared  that  the  purpose  in  annexing  Texas  was  ' '  to  extend 
the  influence  of  slavery,  and  secure  its  perpetual  duration." 


250  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

This  was  not  desired  by  the  northern  people,  who  also  ob 
jected  to  the  burden  of  the  Texan  debt,  which  the  United 
States  were  to  assume,  and  to  the  war  with  Mexico,  which 
must  grow  out  of  the  unsettled  dispute  as  to  boundaries. 
Henry  Clay  was  the  candidate  of  the  Whig  party;  James  K. 
Polk,  of  Tennessee,  that  of  the  Democrats.  The  latter  was 
elected,  and  as  the  question  of  annexation  was  thus  decided 
by  popular  vote,  Texas  was  admitted  before  his  inaugura 
tion.  Florida  was  also  made  a  state  on  the  last  day  of 
Tyler's  term  of  office. 

442.  The  electro-magnetic  telegraph,  invented  by 
Professor  Samuel  F.  B.  Morse,  was  now  first  put  to  practi 
cal  use.  Congress  appropriated  $30,000  to  test  the  inven 
tion,  and  a  line  was  built  from  Washington  to  Baltimore. 
The  first  public  dispatch  ever  sent  over  the  wires  was  the 
announcement  of  Folk's  nomination,  May  291)1,  1844. 

NOTES. 

1.  William  Henry  Harrison  (6. 1773,  d.  1841)  was  the  son  of  Benjamin 
Harrison,  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  and,  later,  governor 
of  Virginia.    At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  entered  the  army  as  an  ensign, 
and  served  in  the  expeditions  against  the  Indians  conducted  by  Governor 
St.  Clair  and  "  Mad  Anthony  "  (g  326).    He  thus  became  experienced  at  an 
early  age  in  Indian  warfare,  and  prepared  the  foundations  of  his  later 
renown.    At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  was  made  a  captain,  and  com 
manded  Fort  Washington  on  the  site  of  Cincinnati;  two  years  later  he 
resigned  in  order  to  accept  the  position  of  secretary  of  the  North-west 
Territory.    He  held  this  office  two  years,  and  then  was  sent  to  represent 
the  people  of  that  district  as  their  delegate  to  Congress.    In  1801  the  North 
west  Territory  was  divided,  and  Harrison  was  appointed  governor  of  the 
"Territory  of  Indiana,"  which  included  the  present  states  of  Indiana, 
Illinois,  Michigan,  and  Wisconsin.    During  his  governorship  he  made 
several  important  treaties  with  the  Indians,  and  fought  the  celebrated 
battle  of  Tippecanoe  (§  368,  and  Note).    Harrison's  part  in  the  War  of  1812 
has  been  described  in  the  text  (§§375,  376,  383).    After  the  war  he  turned 
his  attention  to  politics,  and  served  in  both  branches  of  Congress  and  in 
the  Ohio  state  senate.    Under  John  Quincy  Adams  he  was  sent  as  minis 
ter  plenipotentiary  to  Colombia,  S.  A.,  but  being  recalled  immediately  after 
Jackson  was  elected,  Harrison  retired  from  politics,  and  during  the  next 
seven  years  led  a  quiet  and  peaceful  life  on  his  farm  near  Cincinnati.    In 
1836  he  again  entered  the  political  arena,  and  was  defeated  for  the  Presi 
dency  by  Van  Buren  ;  but,  four  years  later,  the  nomination  of  the  same 
candidates  gave  rise  to  one  of  the  most  exciting  campaigns  our  country 
has  witnessed.    As  stated  in  the  text,  Harrison's  success  cost  him  his  life. 

2.  John  Tyler  <b.  1790,  d.  1862)  was  born  in  Charles  City  Co.,  Virginia. 
His  father  was  a  Revolutionary  patriot,  and  for  some  years  was  governor 
of  the  state.    Tyler  graduated  at  William  and  Mary  College,  studied  law, 
and  shortly  after  being  admitted  to  the  bar  was  elected  to  the  legislature. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  a  long  political  career,  during  which  he  served 


NOTES.  251 


at  various  times  in  the  House  and  Senate,  in  his  state  legislature,  as  gov 
ernor  of  Virginia,  and  finally  as  Vice-president  and  President  of  the 
United  States.  His  course  as  President  was  condemned  by  his  own  party, 
the  Whigs,  while  it  gained  him  no  support  among  the  Democrats;  and, 
although  nominated  lor  a  second  term  by  a  convention  held  in  Baltimore, 
he  found  himself  so  unpopular  that  he  was  compelled  to  withdraw  from 
the  contest.  When  the  Southern  States  seceded,  in  1861,  Tyler  was  sent  as 
a  delegate  from  Virginia  to  the  Peace  Convention  at  Washington,  of 
which  he  was  president.  This  convent!  on  failed  of  its  purpose,  and,  re 
turning  to  his  native  state,  he  espoused  the  Southern  cause.  At  the  time 
of  his  death  he  was  a  member  of  the  Confederate  Congress. 

3.  Thomas  William  Dorr,  the  leader  of  the  suffrage  party,  was  tried 
and  convicted  of  treason.    He  was  sentenced  to  imprisonment  for  life, 
but  was  released  in  1847. 

4.  Jpseph  Smith  was  of  Scotch  descent,  and  was  born  in  Sharon,  Ver 
mont,  in  1805.    He  led  a  dissolute  life  when  young,  and  was  very  ignorant. 
When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  pretended  to  have  received  from  an 
angel  tablets  of  gold  upon  which  was  written  the  "  Book  of  Mormon." 
He  deciphered  the  hieroglyphics  of  this  book  by  means  of  a  pair  of  won 
derful  spectacles  provided  by  the  angel,  and  dictated  its  contents  to  his 
secretary  to  write  in  English.    This  secretary  and  two  other  persons  bore 
witness  to  the  actual  existence  of  the  golden  tablets,  and  to  their  mysteri 
ous  disappearance  as  soon  as  they  were  transcribed.    Unfortunately  for 
the  new  religion  Smith  quarreled  with  these  witnesses  shortly  after,  and 
they  denounced  the  whole  story  as  a  hoax.    Smith  attempted  to  intro 
duce  polygamy  into  the  Mormon  belief  when  they  settled  at  Nauvoo,  Illi 
nois,  but  was  strongly  resisted  by  certain  of  the  community,  who  estab 
lished  a  press  and  published  opposition  articles.    Smith  headed  a  mob 
which  demolished  this  press,  but  this  act  cost  the  "prophet"  his  liberty, 
and  ultimately  his  life,  as  narrated  in  the  text. 

5.  Brigham  Young  was  born  at  Whitingham,  Vermont,  in  1801,  and 
was  a  man  of  limited  education.    He  first  joined  the  Mormons  while  they 
were  located  at  Kirtlaiid,  Ohio,  and  soon  became  a  prominent  leader 
among  them  through  his  eloquent  preaching  and  strong  personal  influ 
ence.    After  Smith's  death  Young  was  the  successful  candidate  for  presi 
dency  of  the  church  against  three  competitors.    In  1852  he  introduced 
polygamy  as  "  the  celestial  law  of  marriage  "  into  the  Mormon  belief,  de 
claring  that  it  had  been  revealed  to  Smith  nine  years  before.    Young 
died  in  1877,  and  the  Mormons  are  rapidly  losing  control  of  Utah. 

6.  The  most  prominent  American  in  the  Texan  revolt  was  General 
Samuel  Houston,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  characters  in  American 
history.    He  was  born  near  Lexington,  Virginia,  in  1793.    His  mother,  a 
poor  widow,  removed  to  Tennessee  in  1807,  but  her  son  shortly  left  her, 
and  went  to  live  with  the  Cherokee  Indians  in  Arkansas,  where  he  made 
many  strong  friends  among  the  chiefs.    Three  years  later  he  returned,  and 
after  teaching  school  for  a  time  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Jackson's  cam 
paign  against  the  Creeks  (g  384).    Retiring  at  the  close  of  the  war  with  the 
rank  of  lieutenant,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and  was  soon  a  prom 
inent  politician.    After  holding  several  minor  offices  he  was  elected  to 
Congress,  and  kept  his  seat  there  for  four  years,  when  he  was  elected  gov 
ernor  of  Tennessee,  at  the  age  of  thirty-four.    Two  years  later  he  mar 
ried,  but   almost    immediately  separated    from    his  wife,  resigned   the 
governors-hip,  and  went  to  live  with  his  old  friends  the  Cherokees. 

In  1832  Houston  went  to  Texas  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  rev 
olutionary  movement.  After  Texas  declared  her  independence,  Houston 
was  made  commander-in-chief  of  her  army.  Santa  Anna,  the  Mexican 
general,  butchered  two  American  forces  that  had  surrendered  to  him,  in 
cold  blood,  and  then  attacked  Houston,  who  had  but  783  men,  with  a 
force  of  1,600  men.  This  was  the  famous  battle  of  San  Jacinto,  in  which 
630  Mexicans  were  killed,  and  nearly  all  the  rest  were  captured ;  among 
the  latter  was  Santa  Anna.  The  American  loss  was  eight  killed  and 
twenty-five  wounded.  Houston  worked  earnestly  for  the  annexation  of 
Texas  to  the  United  States,  and  after  it  was  accomplished  was  elected 
United  States  Senator.  In  1859  he  was  elected  governor  of  Texas,  but  be 
ing  opposed  to  secession  he  resigned  his  office  when  that  state  went  out 
of  the  Union,  and  retired  to  private  life.  He  died  July  25th,  1863. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


FIFTEENTH    ADMINISTRATION,    A.   D.    1845-1849. 


James  K.  Polk,  President. 


George  M.  Dallas^  Vice-president. 


443.  The  Eleventh  President. — Early  in  Mr.  Folk's1 
term  of  office  the  northern  boundary  of  Oregon  was  settled 
by  treaty  with  Great  Britain.  Columbia  River  had  been 
first  visited  and  named  by  an  American  sea-captain2  in 

1792.  After  its  exploration 
by  Lewis  and  Clarke  (§358) 
the  colony  of  Astoria  was 
founded  on  its  southern  bank 
by  John  Jacob  Astor,3  of 
New  York,  as  a  depot  of  the 
fur  trade.  British  subjects 
meanwhile  settled  on  the 
northern  branch  of  the  Co 
lumbia  and  on  the  Fraser 
River. 

444.  Boundary  of  Or 
egon  and  British  Amer 
ica. — So  long  as  the  fur 

James  K.  Polk.  trade    w^    ^    Qnly     objectj 

the  two  nations  could  agree  to  occupy  the  land  together. 
But  in  1834  the  Willamette  Valley  began  to  be  settled  by 
American  citizens,  who  desired  the  protection  of  their  own 
government.  Others  were  for  claiming  the  whole  coast  to 
latitude  54°  40',  and  "Fifty-four  forty,  or  fight,"  was  a 
party  cry  in  the  election  of  1844,  But  in  1846,  after  several 
years'  negotiation,  the  boundary  was  drawn  at  49°,  and  there 
it  still  remains.  Oregon  Territory  was  organized  in  1848. 
(252) 


THE  MEXICAN  WAR.  253 

In    1859    the    state    of   Oregon   and,  later,  the    territories  of 
Washington  and  Idaho  were  formed  from  the  same  lands. 

445.  The  south-western  boundary  was  not  so  peace 
ably  settled.     Mexico  claimed  the  Nueces  River,  Texas  the 
Rio  Grande,  as  the  dividing  line ;  and  the  United  States  had 
now  undertaken  the  Texan  quarrel.     General  Taylor,   with 
an   "Army  of  Occupation,"  entered  the  disputed  territory, 
and  in  April,   1846,  built  Fort  Brown,  on  the  Rio  Grande. 

446.  War  with  Mexico. — The  Mexicans  began  hostili 
ties  by  surprising  and  killing  or  capturing  a  party  of  United 
States  dragoons.     Soon  afterward  they  attempted  to  cut  off 
General  Taylor  himself,  who  had  gone  for  supplies  to  Point 
Isabel,  but  they  were  defeated  in  a  hard-fought  battle  at  Palo 
Alto,  and  still  more  decisively  the  next  day  at  the  ravine  of 
Resaca  de  la  Palma.     War  was  now  formally  declared,  and 
fifty  thousand  volunteers   were  called   for.     Three  hundred 
thousand   pressed    forward,    eager   for  adventure.     Crossing 
the   Rio   Grande,   Taylor   captured   Matamoras   and   several 
other  Mexican  towns. 

447.  Three  plans  comprised  the  campaigns  of  1846  and 
1847  :  (i)  General  Taylor,  as  before,  was  to  hold  the  line  of 
the  Rio  Grande.     (2)  General  Kearny,  with  the  Army  of  the 
West,  was  to  cross  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  conquer  New 
Mexico  and  California.      (3)    General    Scott,4  commander-in- 
chief,  was  to  advance  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  City  of  Mexico. 

448.  Capture    of    Monterey.  — In    September,    1846, 
General  Taylor  moved  upon  Monterey.     The  city  was  de 
fended  by  the  mountain  gorges  which  obstructed  approach, 
and  by  strong  works  manned  by  10,000  Mexicans.     It  was 
taken,   however,    in    four   days,    and   the   Americans   fought 
their  way  from  house  to  house,   until   all  had   surrendered. 

449.  General  Santa  Anna5  was  now  President  of  the 
Mexican  Republic  and  at  the  head  of  her  forces.     With  a 
fine  army    of    20,000   men    he   marched    to    attack    Taylor 


254  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

in  the  mountain-pass  of  Buena  Vista.  The  Americans  num 
bered  less  than  5,000,  but  they  fought  furiously, 
and  at  every  charge  the  Mexicans  were  repulsed. 

At  length  these  fled  to  the  southward,   and  General  Taylor 

remained  in  undisturbed  possession  of  the  valley  of  the  Rio 

Grande. 

450.  Capture  of  Vera  Cruz. — He  had  already  sent  the 
greater  part  of  his  forces  to  the  aid  of  General  Scott,   who 
landed  in  March  with  12,000  men  before  Vera  Cruz.     This 
place    was    defended    by    the    strong    castle    of    San   Juan 
d'Ulloa,    but   after    a   heavy  cannonade   of   four  days  both 
castle  and  city  were  surrendered. 

451.  Advance  on  the  Capital. —The  main  army  then 
commenced  its  march  to  the  capital,  which  lies  7,500  feet 
above  the  sea-level.      On  the  heights  of  Cerro  Gordo  Santa 
Anna   was   found   strongly    posted   with    15,000   men.     His 
positions    were   all   stormed   and   carried;    3,000    Mexicans 
were  made  prisoners,   and  the   invading  army   pressed  on. 
Pueblo,   a  city  of  80,000  people,   was  taken  without  resist 
ance,  and  here  General  Scott  waited  three  months  for  addi 
tional  forces. 

452.  Arriving  in  August  at  the  summit  of  the  Cordilleras, 
the  American  army  could  look  down  upon  the  City  of  Mexico, 
lying  in  its  beautiful  valley  studded  with  lakes  and  encircled 
by  lofty  mountains.     But  all  the  roads  thither  were  guarded 
by  strong  works  and  defended  by  Santa  Anna  with  30,000 
Mexicans.     Choosing    a    difficult    route    to    the    southward, 
Generals  Pillow  and  Twiggs  forced  the  strongly  intrenched 
camp  at  Contrcras,  in  a  spirited  fight  of  only  seventeen  min 
utes,  and  the  same  day  captured  the  heights  of  Churubusco, 
while  General  Worth  stormed  San  Antonio. 

453.  Surrender  of  Mexico. — The  way  was  now  open 
to  the  gates  of  the  capital,  for  the  reserve  forces  of  Santa 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  CITY  OF  MEXICO. 


255 


Invasion  of  Mexico. 


Anna  were  routed  by  Generals  Shields  and  Pierce,  and  the 
city  government  sent  to  ask  a  truce.  On  the  yth  of  Sep 
tember  the  army  was  again  in  motion;  the  great  fortress  of 
ChaputtepeC)  commanding  the  city,  was  taken  by  storm; 
Santa  Anna  and  his  officers  fled;  and  on  the  1 4th  the  flag  of 
the  United  States  floated  over  the  ancient  home  of  the 
Montezumas.6 

4^\,  \  B"  K  A  /r  y^ 
f  OF  THE 

I    UNIVERSITY    1 


256 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


454.   Other  Movements.— Meanwhile    General    Kearny 
had  captured  Santa  Fe  (§48)  and  dispatched  Colonel  Doni- 
phan  with  a  thousand  men  to  conquer  the  province  and  city 
of  Chihuahua.     He  defeated 
the  Mexicans  in  two  battles, 
and     completely     accom 
plished  his  mission.      Kear- 


Gold  Digging. 

ny,  with  only  400  dragoons,    proceeded  to  the  conquest  of 
California.     This,  however,  was  achieved  before  his  arrival. 

455-  Captain  John  C.  Fremont,  with  a  party  of  en 
gineers,  was  exploring  the  region  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
for  a  new  route  to  Oregon,  when  he  heard  that  the  Mexican 
commander  in  California  was  about  to  expel  all  Americans 
from  his  province.  At  the  same  time  Fremont  received 


MAP 

TO   ILLUSTBATE 
THE 

MEXICAN  WAR. 

IBy  Hussell  Hinman.C.E. 

0  200  400  Mile. 


GOLD  IN  CALIFORNIA.  257 

orders  from  his  own  government  to  protect  the  interests  of 
its  citizens  as  far  as  was  possible. 

456.  California  Independent. — Raising  a  force  of  vol 
unteers   among   the   Americans  who  were   in   California  for 
purposes  of  trade,  Fremont  many  times  defeated  the  Mexi 
cans  in  the  Sacramento  Valley,  and  in  concert  with  Commo 
dore  Stockton,  who  was  cruising  with  an  American  fleet  off 
the  Pacific  coast,  completely  gained  control  of  the  country. 
California   declared   her   independence  of  Mexico,   July  5, 
1846. 

457.  Treaty  of  Guadalupe  Hidalgo.— With  the  sur 
render  of  her  capital  the  power  of  Mexico  was  broken.     By 
the    treaty    of    Guadalupe   Hidalgo,    Upper    California,    with 
Nevada,   Utah,    Arizona,    and  New   Mexico,  was  ceded  to 
the  United  States.     The  latter  agreed  to  pay  fifteen  millions 
of  dollars  for  these  territories,  and  to  assume  the  debts  due 
to  American  citizens  from   the   Mexican  government.     The 
other  captured  places  were  restored. 

458.  Gold  Discovered. — Scarcely  was  this  treaty  signed 
when   news    came   that   gold   had   been   discovered  on  the 
American   Fork   of  Sacramento  River.     The  report  spread 
around  the  world,  and  from  every  country  a  throng  of  ex 
cited    adventurers    rushed    toward    the    "diggings."     Ships 
were  deserted,  while  officers  and  men  joined  in  the  scramble 
for  sudden  wealth.     From  the  Atlantic  States  thousands  em 
barked    for    the    long   voyage   around    Cape    Horn;    others 
crossed  the   fever-haunted   Isthmus;    while  multitudes  jour 
neyed  overland,   many  of  whom  died  of  hunger  and  hard 
ship  on  the  desolate  plains. 

459.  San  Francisco,  from  a  sleepy  Spanish  "mission" 
(§48),  surrounded  by  a  village  of  mud  cabins,  became  in  a 
year  a  busy  town  of  15,000  people.     At  first  the  rough  and 
reckless  crowd   had  its  own  way,   and  the  worst  disorders 

prevailed;  but  at  length  the  best  citizens  formed  themselves 
u.  s.  H.— 17. 


258  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

into  "vigilance  committees,"  and  succeeded  in  enforcing 
justice ;  so  that  society  became  as  peaceful  as  in  older 
states.  As  the  gold  fever  subsided,  mining  continued  to  be 
an  important  and  regular  industry  of  California,  while  the 
inexhaustible  wealth  of  her  soil  and  the  wonderful  equability 
and  healthfulness  of  her  climate  drew  thousands  of  new  cit 
izens. 

460.  The  Wilmot  Proviso. — On  the  question  of  gov 
erning  the  great,  rich  countries  acquired  from  Mexico,  violent 
contests  arose.     As  early  as   1846   David  Wilmot7   had  in 
troduced  into  Congress  a  bill  for  excluding  slavery  from  all 
future  territories  of  the  United  State's.     This  "  Proviso"  was 
defeated,  but  in  the  election  of  1848  both  Whigs  and  Dem 
ocrats  were  opposed  by  a  "Free  Soil  Party."     It  was  not 
strong  enough  to  secure  even  one  electoral  vote,  but  its  prin 
ciple — that  of  limiting  slave-labor  to  the  states  it  already  oc 
cupied — was  gaining  ground. 

461.  New  States. — During  Folk's  administration  Iowa 
(1846)  and    Wisconsin   (1848)   were  admitted  to  the  Union. 
Iowa  was  first  occupied  by  a  Frenchman  named  Dubuque, 
who  carried  on  trade  with  the  Indians  from  a  fort  and  fac 
tory  near  the  town  which  bears  his  name.     The  towns  of 
Burlington  and  Dubuque  were  founded  in  1833  by  emigrants 
from   Illinois.     French   missions  and   trading   stations   were 
also  the  first  white   settlements  in  Wisconsin,   whose  name 
means    ' '  the    gathering-place    of   waters. "      In    later    years 
many  industrious  people  from  Norway,   Sweden,   Denmark, 
and  northern  Germany  have  found  homes  in  the  state. 

Point  out  on  Map  No.  9,  the  Columbia  River.  The  northern  bound 
ary  of  the  United  States,  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  On  Map  No.  7,  the  south-western  boundary  as  claimed  by 
Mexico  in  1845  \  as  claimed  by  Texas.  General  Taylor's  first  position 
in  1846.  The  sites  of  his  principal  victories.  The  march  of  General 
Scott  from  the  coast  to  the  capital  of  Mexico.  The  route  of  General 
Kearny.  The  boundaries  of  the  lands  ceded  by  Mexico  in  the  Treaty 
of  Guadalupe  Hidalgo.  San  Francisco. 


NOTES.  259 


Read  Jay's  "Mexican  War"  and   Ripley's  "War  with   Mexico;" 
Dawson's  "American  Battle  Fields." 

NOTES. 

1.  James  Knox  Polk  (&.  1795,  d.  1849)  was  born  in  Mecklenburg  County, 
North  Carolina,  his  grand-uncle  having  been  one  of  the  promoters  of  the 
Mecklenburg  Resolutions  (§242).    The  family  moved  to  Tennessee  in  1806, 
arid  Polk  received  his  education  at  the  University  of  Nashville.    After 
graduating  he  studied  law,  and  in  1823  commenced  his  political  career  as  a 
member  of  the  state  legislature.    From  1824  to  1839  he  was  a  member  of 
Congress,  where  he  distinguished  himself  in  his  opposition  to  the  admin 
istration  of  John  Quincy  Adams,  and  later  by  his  support  of  Jackson. 
He  was  elected  governor  of  Tennessee  in  1839,  but  failed  in  his  attempt  for 
re-election  two  years  later.    As  President,  Polk  displayed  ability  in  his 
administration  of  public  affairs,  although  he  was  not  a  man  of  remark 
able  gifts  or  attainments.    In  character  he  was  amiable,  little  given  to 
display,  grave  in  manner,  and  irreproachable  in  his  private  life.    Three 
months  after  his  successor  took  the  presidential  chair,  Polk  died,  after  a 
very  short  illness,  at  his  home  in  Nashville,  Tenn. 

2.  This  was  Captain  Robert  Gray,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  who  entered  the 
river  on  the  llth  of  May,  in  his  vessel,  "Columbia  Rediviva,"  after 
which  the  stream  was  named. 

3.  John  Jacob  Astor  (b.  1763,  d.  1848)  was  the  son  of  a  German  peasant, 
and  was  born  near  Heidelberg.    When  sixteen  years  of  age  he  went  to 
London  and  joined  his  brother,  a  maker  of  musical  instruments.    He 
worked  at  that  trade  until  the  close  of  the  American  Revolution,  when 
he  started  for  Baltin^re  with  some  musical  instruments,  which  he  pro 
posed  to  sell  on  commission.    During  the  passage  he  became  acquainted 
with  a  fur  trader,  who  revealed  the  profit  to  be  made  in  furs;  and  Astor, 
acting  on  this,  exchanged  his  instruments  for  furs  on  his  arrival,  and  thus 
began  a  business  which,  before  long,  assumed  colossal  proportions. 

4.  Winfield  Scott  (&.  1786,  d.  1866)  was  born  at  Petersburgh,  Va.    After 
graduating  at  William  arid  Mary  College  he  adopted  the  profession  of 
law,  but  almost  immediately  abandoned  it,  entering  the  army  as  a  cap 
tain  in  1808.    His  brilliant  career  in  the  War  of  1812,  the  Creek  War,  and 
the  war  with  Mexico,  has  made  him  one  of  the  most  renowned  of  Amer 
ican  generals,  while  the  tact  and  judgment  displayed  in  managing  the 
delicate  questions  of  the  tariff  trouble  in  South  Carolina,  and  the  Cana 
dian  agitation  of  1837  (§  431),  marked  him  as  a  skillful  diplomate.    He  was 
retired  in  1861  on  full  pay  and  rank,  and  passed  his  remaining  days  at 
West  Point.    He  has  left  behind  him  several  military  works,  a  few  let 
ters,  and  a  book  of  memoirs  of  his  life. 

5.  Antonio  Lopez  de  Santa  Anna  was  one  of  the  most  prominent 
characters  in  Mexico  during  the  revolutionary  times  which  existed  there 
from  1810  to  1870.    He  commenced  his  military  career  in  1821,  when  only 
twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  during  his  life,  besides  holding  prominent 
military  commands,  was  three  times  elected  president  and  twice  made 
dictator.    He  was  banished  or  compelled  to  flee  the  country  no  less  than 
five  times;   and  on  one  occasion,  being  convicted  of  treason,  his  vast 
landed  estates  were  confiscated.    They  were  never  returned  to  him,  and 
he  died  at  Vera  Cruz  in  comparative  poverty  and  obscurity,  in  1876. 

6.  The  Montezumas  were  emperors  of  ancient  Mexico. 

7.  David  Wilmot  (b.  1814,  d.  1868)  was  born  at  Bethany,  Pa.,  and  was  a 
member  of  Congress  from  1845  to  1851.    The  "  Proviso"  which  has  made 
his  name  celebrated  was  an  amendment  to  a  bill  appropriating  $2,000,000 
for  the  purchase  of  Mexican  territory,  and  was  simply  a  repetition  of  the 
language  of  the  Ordinance  of  1787  by  which  the  North-west  Territory  was 
organized  (§324).     It  provided   that   "neither  slavery  nor  involuntary 
servitude  shall  ever  exist  in  any  part  of  said  territory,  except  for  crime, 
whereof  the  party  shall  first  be  duly  convicted." 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


SIXTEENTH    ADMINISTRATION.    A.    D.     1849-1853. 


Zachary  Taylor,  President. 


Millard  Fillmore,  Vice -president. 


462.  The  Twelfth  President.— General  Zachary  Taylor? 
of   Louisiana,    a   popular   hero    of   the    Mexican  War,    was 
elected  by  the  Whig  party,   and  became  President  of   the 
United  States  in  1849.     Soon  afterward  California,  having 

adopted  a  state  constitu 
tion,  asked  for  admission  to 
the  Union.  This  aroused 
all  the  sectional  disputes, 
for  the  Californians  had 
decided  to  have  no  slaves. 
The  South  opposed  the  ad 
mission  of  a  free  state  as 
contrary  to  the  Missouri 
Compromise  (§402).  The 
North  replied  that  the 
Compromise  applied  only 
to  the  Louisiana  purchase; 
that  a  large  part  of  Cali 
fornia  was  north  of  36°  30' 

Zachary  Taylor.  ^^    ^^  .      ^    ^ 

moreover,  the  people  of  the  new  state  had  a  right  to  choose 
for  themselves.2 

463.  The  Compromise  of  1850. — Henry  Clay  acted  the 
part  of  peace-maker,  as  he  had  done  before,  but  the  effect  of 
his  compromise  was  only  to  delay  for  ten  years  the  appeal  to 
arms.     Six  things  were  proposed  in  his  "Omnibus  Bill:"3 
(i)  California  to  be  admitted  as  a  free  state;  (2)  The  admis- 

(260) 


FILLMORE  AS  PRESIDENT. 


261 


sion  of  new  states  legally  formed  by  the  division  of  Texas; 
(3)  Utah  and  New  Mexico  to  be  organized  as  territories 
without  mention  of  slavery;  (4)  The  claims  of  Texas  to  New 
Mexico  to  be  bought  by  the  United  States  for  ten  millions  of 
dollars;  (5)  The  slave-trade 
to  be  forbidden  in  the  Dis 
trict  of  Columbia;  and  (6) 
Slaves  escaping  to  free  states 
to  be  arrested  and  returned 
to  their  owners.  After  long 
debate,  in  which  Clay  and 
Webster  bore  a  distinguished 
part,  the  bill  was  passed. 

464.  The    Thirteenth 
President. — While   it   was 
under    discussion,    President 
Taylor   died,   after  only  six 
teen  months  of  office.     Pub 
lic   duties,   amid  the  intense 
excitement  of  the  time,  had 

weighed  the  more  heavily  upon  him  because  he  was  unused 
to  political  life.  His  last  words  were,  ' '  I  have 
tried  to  do  my  duty;  I  am  not  afraid  to  die." 
Millard  Fill-more,*  of  New  York,  the  Vice-president,  now  came 
to  the  head  of  the  government.  Daniel  Webster  was  ap 
pointed  Secretary  of  State.  Part  of  the  duties  of  that  office 
were  devolved  upon  the  new  "  Department  of  the  Interior," 
which  has  charge  of  the  public  lands,  of  dealings  with  the 
Indians,  and  of  issuing  patents. 

465.  The  Gadsden  Purchase. — By  peaceful  agreement 
with  Mexico,  a  large  tract  of  land  south  of  the  River  Gila 
was   added    to   the  United   States.     Ten   millions 

of  dollars  were  paid  by  the  United  States  for  this 

' 'Gadsden   Purchase,"  so  called   because  it  was  negotiated 

by  Senator  Gadsden  of  South  Carolina. 


Millard  Fillmore. 


July,   1850. 


Dec.,  1853. 


262  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

466.  Within  less  than  three  years  three  public  men  died 
who  were  unsurpassed  by  any  of   their  countrymen  in  elo 
quence  or  in   their  control   of   the   destinies  of  the  nation. 
Calhoun   died   in   March,    1850;    Clay  in  June,    1852;    and 
Webster  in  the  following  October.     Though  often  strongly 
opposed  on  questions  of  policy,   each  thoroughly  respected 
the  personal  character  of  his  opponents.     All  had  been  un 
successful   candidates   for   the   highest   office.     Clay  had  re 
signed  his  hopes  and  his  favorite  policy  in  the  effort  to  make 
peace  between  extreme  parties,  replying  to  his  friends  who 
remonstrated:   "I  would  rather  be  right  than  be  President." 
Many   think   that   Webster  made   a   similar   sacrifice   in   his 
famous  "Seventh  of  March  Oration,"  by  which  he  strove  to 
conciliate  the  Southern  interests  at  the  expense  of  his  influ 
ence  in  New  England. 

467.  The  Fugitive   Slave  Law. — All  party  questions 
were  now  absorbed  in  the  overwhelming  excitement  concern 
ing  slavery.      "The    Fugitive    Slave    Law,"    a   part   of   the 
"  Omnibus  Bill,"  was  bitterly  resented  in  the  Northern  States. 
Most  northern  people  had  been  content  to  feel  that  slave- 
holding,  whether  right  or  wrong,  was  no  concern  of  theirs, 
and  to  leave  the  responsibility  to  those  who  had  assumed  it. 
It  was  a  different  matter  to  see  fugitives  hunted  by  officers  of 
the  United  States  in  the  streets  of  Boston,  and  to  be  even 
required  to  assist  in  the  pursuit.     On  the  other  hand,   the 
South  felt  that  northern  men  were  willing  to  accept  a  large 
share  in  the  profits  of  slave-labor,  while  refusing  their  support 
to  the  system,  and  even  assuming  to  censure  those  who  were 
directly  involved  in  it. 

468.  Personal   Liberty  Laws. — Several  of  the  states 
enacted  "  Personal  Liberty  Laws,"5  practically  annulling  the 
obnoxious  decree.     While  the  excitement  was  at  its  height  the 
election  of  1852  resulted  in  the  elevation  of  Franklin  Pierce, 
of  New  Hampshire,   to  the  Presidency,   by  the  Democratic 
party,  which  commanded  an  immense  majority  in  the  South. 


NOTES.  263 


NOTES. 

1.  Zachary  Taylor  (6.  1784,  d.  1850)  was  of  Virginian  birth  ;  his  father,  a 
Revolutionary  officer,  removed  to  a  plantation  near  Louisville,  Ky.,  when 
Zachary  was  still  a  baby,  and  became  one  of  the  prominent  politicians  of 
the  state.  Zachary  lived  on  the  plantation  until  twenty-four  years  of 
age,  and  had  but  meager  opportunities  for  education.  He  then  entered 
the  army  as  a  lieutenant,  and  two  years  later  distinguished  himself  by  the 
brave  defense  of  a  fort  on  the  Wabash,  under  his  command,  against  a 
much  superior  force  of  Indians.  This  was  at  the  opening  of  the  War  of 
1812,  and  established  Taylor's  reputation  as  an  Indian  fighter.  He  was 
accordingly  almost  constantly  employed  on  the  western  frontier  and  in 


Florida,  either  fighting  or  as  an  Indian  agent,  until  the  opening  of  the 
Mexican  War,  when  he  had  risen  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general. 
His  soldiers  were  devoted  to  him.    They  called  him  "Old  Rough-and- 


Ready,"  and  this  name  became  the  rallying  cry  of  the  party  which 
elected  him  President.  While  Taylor  declared  himself  willing  to  accept 
the  nomination  for  President,  he  at  the  same  time  expressed  his  doubts  as 
to  his  fitness  for  the  position,  and  insisted  upon  entire  freedom  from  party 
pledges.  He  wa;  conservative  in  his  views;  and  although  an  owner  of 
slaves,  was  strongly  opposed  to  the  Secession  party,  which  began  to 
gain  power  in  the  South  during  his  term  of  office. 

One  of  his  daughters  married  Jefferson  Davis,  and  his  son,  General 
Richard  Taylor,  was  one  of  the  last  Confederate  generals  to  surrender  to 
the  United  States. 

2.  This  principle  came  to  be  known  as  "  Squatter  sovereignty."    A  little 
later  (g  473)  we  shall  see  its  advocates  and  opponents  changing  sides. 

3.  Called  the  "  Omnibus  Bill  "  from  its  including  so  many  widely  differ 
ent  provisions.    Before  passage  it  was  divided  into  separate  bill's. 

4.  Millard  Fillmore  (6.  1800,  d.  1874)  was  born  in  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y., 
which  at  that  time  was  very  sparsely  settled,  and  the  young  boy  had  the 
simplest  of  rudimentary  education.    He  was  apprenticed  to  a  trade  when 
fourteen,  but  being  ambitious  he  studied  hard  during  spare  hours,  and 
finally  obtaining  a  release  from  his  master  he  entered  a  law  office  as  a 
clerk.    After  two  years  of  drudgery  there  he  went  to  Buffalo,  and  al 
though  at  first  almost  penniless  and  an  entire  stranger  he  succeeded  in 
making  a  living,  and  in  winning  friends  who  secured  his  admission  to  the 
bar.    His  abilities  soon  made  him  known,  and  his  rise  was  rapid. 

His  political  life  commenced  in  1828,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  state 
legislature.  In  1832  he  was  first  elected  to  Congress,  and  served  one  term. 
He  was  reflected  in  1836,  and  held  his  seat  until  1842,  when  he  declined  a 
renomination.  In  doctrine  he  was  a  staunch  Whig,  and  took  an  active 
part  in  the  debates  in  Congress.  He  was  appointed  chairman  of  the  com 
mittee  of  ways  and  means,  a  most  important  post,  and  took  the  leading 
part  in  drawing  up  the  tariff  of  1842.  After  retiring  from  Congress,  Mr. 
Fillmore  was  a  candidate  for  Vice-president,  but  failed  to  secure  the  nom 
ination.  He  was  also  defeated  as  the  Whig  nominee  for  governor  of  New 
York  in  1844  ;  but  in  1847  he  was  elected  comptroller  of  the  state,  and  dis 
played  great  ability  in  that  office. 

As  President,  Fillmore  won  the  sincere  admiration  of  his  cabinet.  His 
messages  to  Congress  contained  many  suggestions  of  great  value  to  the 
country,  but  none  of  them  were  carried  out  owing  to  purely  political 
reasons.  Fillmore  signed  the  various  acts  comprised  in  Mr.  Clay's  com 
promise  measures,  being  convinced  of  their  constitutionality;  but  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law,  which,  was  included,  was  so  offensive  to  the  Abolition 
Party  that  when  Mr.  Fillmore  was  again  nominated  for  President  in  1856 
by  the  "American"  party,  he  was  unable  to  secure  the  electoral  vote  of 
a  single  northern  state.  He  then  retired  to  private  life  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 
where  he  died  in  1874,  of  paralysis. 

5.  These  laws  aimed  to  secure  the  liberty  of  escaped  slaves  who  might 
enter  the  several  free  states,  and  were  at  once  denounced  as  contrary  to 
the  Constitution  (Article  4,  Section  2). 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

SEVENTEENTH    ADMINISTRATION,     A.    D.     1853-1857. 
Franklin  Pierce,  President.  William  R.  King,  Vice-president. 

469.  The  Fourteenth  President. — Two  peaceful  events 
marked  the  summer  of  1853.      Following  an  example  set  by 
London  two  years  before,  a   ''Crystal  Palace"  was  opened 
at  New  York  in  July  for  an  * '  Exposition  of  the  arts  and  in 
dustries   of   all    nations."      Several    "World's    Fairs"    have 
been  held  since  then;    and   it  may  be  hoped  that  the  im 
proved   acquaintance  with   each   other's   resources,  and  the 
mutual  interests  which  may  be  founded   upon   them,    have 
done  something  to  promote  among  all  nations  unity,  peace, 
and  concord 

470.  Perry  in  Japan. — During  the  same  month,  July, 
1853,  Commodore  Perry,  in  command  of  an  American  fleet, 
entered  the  harbor  of  Yeddo,  and  announced  the  desire  of 
his  government  to  make  a  treaty  with  Japan.     That  interest 
ing  empire  had  kept  itself  secluded  for  centuries  from  all  in 
tercourse  with  other  nations,  and  the  doors  were  now  opened 
only  with  caution  and  reserve.     But  in   1854  a  treaty  was 
concluded  which  admitted  American  merchants  to  Japanese 
ports,  and  a  rich  commerce  soon  sprang  up,  leading  to  won 
derful  changes  in  the  policy  and  relations  of  Japan. 

471.  Pacific   Railroad    Explorations. — It  had   now 

become  evident  that  great  advantages  would  be  gained  if 
the  rich  Pacific  coast  could  be  connected  with  the  East  by 
railroads;  and,  although  many  deemed  the  scheme  absurd, 
Congress  ordered  surveys  to  be  made  by  a  corps  of  en 
gineers.  Accordingly,  five  different  routes  were  explored 
(264) 


STRIFE  IN  KANSAS. 


265 


during  1853-4,  and  the  possibility  of   building  such  roads 
was  ascertained. 

472.  The  Ostend  Manifesto. — Cuba  had  always  been 
viewed  with  longing  eyes  by  the  United  States,  but  several 
attempts  to  purchase  it  failed,  and  a  filibustering  expedition,1 
undertaken  in  1851,  to  seize  the  island  by  force,  ended  in 
disaster.     In   1854  another  attempt  at  purchase  was  made. 

•The  American  ministers  to 
England,  France,  and  Spain 
met  at  Ostend,  Belgium, 
and  published  a  manifesto 
which  set  forth  the  advan 
tages  to  be  derived  by  both 
Spain  and  the  United  States 
from  the  transfer  of  Cuba, 
at  a  reasonable  price,  as 
well  as  the  danger  to  both 
nations  of  allowing  it  to 
remain  in  the  possession 
of  Spain.  England  and 
France,  however,  joined 
Spain  in  opposing  the  plan, 
and  after  some  temporary  excitement  the  matter  was  dropped. 

473.  The  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill. — The  great  political 
events   of  PierceV   administration  arose  from   a  bill   intro 
duced   into   Congress   by   Senator  Stephen  A.    Douglas,3  of 
Illinois,    "to    organize    the    territories    of   Kansas   and    Ne 
braska."     Disregarding    the    Missouri    Compromise  (§402), 
this  bill  left  to  the  majority  of  people  in  each  territory  the 
choice  whether  to  enter  the  Union  as  a  slave  or  a  free  state. 
It  became  a  law  after  five  months  of  violent  debate.     Then 
began  a  rush  for  the  first  possession  of  the  land. 

474.  Kansas    was    the    immediate    object.      Missourians 
were  earliest  on  the  ground,  and,   guarding  the  nearest  ap- 


Franklin  Pierce. 


266  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

preaches,  forced  emigrants  from  New  England  to  take  a 
circuitous  route  through  Iowa.  In  1856  a  convention  at 
Lecompton  framed  a  state  constitution  admitting  slavery. 
Another  convention  at  Topeka  declared  the  first  to  be  illegal, 
as  the  ballot  had  been  controlled  by  armed  voters  from  Mis 
souri,  and  proceeded  to  organize  Kansas  as  a  free  state. 
Two  capitals  and  two  legislatures  claimed  to  be  the  lawful 
centers  of  government. 

475.  Civil  war  broke  out.     Lawrence,  which  had  been 
settled  by  Massachusetts  people,  was  plundered  and  burnt. 
Murder  and  all  kinds  of  violence  were  unrestrained.      Con 
gress  refused  a  seat  to  the  delegate  from  Kansas,  and  sent 
a  committee  to  investigate  the  manner  of   his  election.     It 
was  made  evident  that  there  had  been  no  true  expression  of 
the  will  of  the  majority.     Governor  Geary4  was  appointed 
with  a  military  force  sufficient  to  secure  order. 

476.  The  Republican  Party  was  now  organized  on  the 
principle  of  resistance  to  the  extension  of  the  slave-holding 
interest.     It  comprised  the  greater  number  of  Whigs,  all  the 
Free-soilers,   and   those   Democrats  who  opposed   the  exten 
sion  of  slavery  in  the  territories.     Fremont5  was  the  Repub 
lican  candidate  for  the  Presidency  in  1856,  and  received  the 
electoral  votes  of   eleven  states.     One  state  voted  for  Fill- 
more,    who    had    been    nominated    by    the    American    or 
* '  Know-Nothing "    party.      The   remaining   nineteen    states 
gave  their  votes  to  James  Buchanan,  the  Democratic  candi 
date,    who   became    the    fifteenth    President   of  the  United 
States. 

NOTES. 

1.  The  "  Filibusters,"  as  they  were  called,  were  a  lawless  set  who,  after 
the  Mexican  War,  organized  expeditions  within  the  Untted  States  against 
Cuba  and  Central  America.    The  expedition  against  Cuba  consisted  of  500 
men,  commanded  by  a  Cuban  named  Lopez.    They  were  defeated  and  im 
prisoned,  and  Lopez  was  executed. 

2.  Franklin  Pierce,  of  New  Hampshire,  was  born  1804,  and  died,  1869. 
He  graduated  at  Bowdoin  College  in  the  class  of  1824,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  three  years  later.    He  was  very  successful  as  a  lawyer.    His  po 
litical  life  began  in  the  legislature  of  his  state,  from  which,  in  1833,  he  was 


NOTES.  267 


transferred  to  the  lower  house  of  Congress.  In  1837  he  was  chosen  United 
States  Senator.  Twice  Mr.  Pierce  refused  cabinet  appointments  by  Pres 
ident  Polk,  and  once  declined  the  nomination  of  his  party  for  governor 
of  New  Hampshire.  He  favored  the  annexation  of  Texas,  and  was 
among  the  first  to  volunteer  for  the  Mexican  War  (g  453).  For  bravery  in 
action  he  rapidly  rose  from  the  ranks  to  a  brigadier-generalship,  and  was 
commissioned  by  General  Scott  to  arrange  an  armistice  after  the  battle  of 
Churubusco.  When  made  President,  in  1852,  he  received  254  electoral 
votes  to  42  cast  for  Winfield  Scott.  Pierce's  entire  administration  was  one 
of  intense  political  excitement.  Party  feeling  ran  high  in  all  parts  of  the 
country.  The  President  was  an  advocate  of  the  doctrine  of  "State 
Rights,"  and  opposed  every  anti-slavery  movement.  After  the  expiration 
of  his  term  of  office  Mr.  Pierce  made  an  extended  European  tour,  and 
then  settled  down  in  his  quiet  New  Hampshire  home. 

3.  Stephen  Arnold  Douglas  was  born  in  Brandon,  Vt.,  1813,  and  died 
at  Chicago,  1861.    He  emigrated  to  the  West  in  1833,  and  a  year  later  com 
menced  the  practice  of  law  in  Jacksonville,  111.    He  showed  such  ability 
in  his  profession  that  at  the  youthful  age  of  22  years  he  was  chosen  attor 
ney-general  of  the  state.    In  1840  he  was  appointed  secretary  of  state,  and 
the  same  year  a  judge  on  the  supreme  bench  of  Illinois.    Douglas  first 
became  a  candidate  for  Congress  in  1837,  but  was  defeated.    Again  nomi 
nated  by  the  Democrats  in  1843,  he  was  more  successful.  He  was  re-elected 
to  the  House  of  Representatives  the  two  following  terms,  and  in*  1847  was 
promoted  to  the  Senate.    He  was  an  acknowledged  leader  in  this  high 
body  for  the  remainder  of  his  life.    During  his  long  congressional  career 
Mr.  Douglas  took  part  ably  in  the  discussion  of  every  important  political 
question  before  the  nation.    He  was  a  master  of  constitutional  law,  a 
powerful  debater,  and  exerted  a  strong  personal  influence  over  his  au 
diences.    He  was  a  man  of  large  frame,  though  not  tall,  and  was  popularly 
styled  "  the  little  giant."    His  Kansas-Nebraska  bill,  which  embodied  the 
doctrine  of  "  squatter  sovereignty  "  (as  termed  by  the  papers  of  the  day) 
was  the  cause  of  exciting  controversy  throughout  the  land,  and  led  to  the 
formation  of  the  Republican  party.    At  the  Baltimore  Convention,  in 
1852,  Mr. Douglas  received  92  votes  as  candidate  for  the  Presidency;  and 
at  Cincinnati,  in  1856, 121  votes.    In  1860  he  was  the  nominee  of  the  north 
ern  wing  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  received  a  very  large  popular  vote. 
He  greatly  deplored  the  Civil  War,  and  strongly  denounced  the  doctrine 
of  secession. 

4.  John  W.  Geary  (6.  1819,  d.  1873)  was  a  well  known  Pennsylvania 
politician  and  soldier.    He  served  with  valor  in  the  Mexican  War;  went 
to  California  in  1849,  where  he  held  several  important  offices:  accepted 
the  governorship  of  Kansas  during  the  stormy  times  of  1856,  but  was 
compelled  to  yield  to  the  stronger  faction  ;  recruited  a  regiment  of  Penn 
sylvania  volunteers  in  1861,  and  fought  gallantly  till  the  close  of  the  Civil 
War,  having  been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major-general.    After  the  war 
he  was  twice  elected  governor  of  his  native  state. 

5.  John  Charles  Fremont  is  of  French  descent,  and  was  born  in 
Savannah,  Georgia,  1813.    To  him  more  than  to  any  other  man  are  Amer 
icans  indebted   for  the  early  exploration  and   first  intelligent  survey 
of  the  vast  territory  between  the  Mississippi  River  and  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
He  was  a  fine  mathematician  and  a  good  civil  engineer.    His  proposal  to 
the  government  to  explore  the  unknown  region  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
was  accepted,  and  in  1842  he  set  out  on  his  first  expedition.    Much  valu 
able  information  was  gained,  and  soon  after  his  return  Fremont  fitted  out 
a  second  exploring  party  much  larger  than  the  first.    During  the  next 
half  dozen  years  he  crossed  the  continent  many  times,  often  suffering  the 
most  extreme  dangers  from  cold,  and  hunger,  and  the  Indians.    He  be 
came  known  as  "the  pathfinder."    Under  Fremont's  leadership  upper 
California  was  taken  from  the  Mexicans.    The  American  settlers  on  the 
Pacific  slope  elected  him  governor  of  California  in  1846,  and  the  next  Jan 
uary  he  dictated  the  terms  of  surrender  to  the  Mexican  forces.    President 
Taylor  commissioned  Fremont  to  run  the  boundary  line  between  Mexico 
and  the  United  States.    In  1850  he  was  sent  as  United  States  Senator  from 
the  new  state  of  California. 

In  the  presidential  election  of  1856  he  received  114  electoral  votes  to 
Buchanan's  174.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was  a  major-general  in  the 
Union  army :  his  campaigns  were  in  Missouri  and  Virginia.  In  1878  Pres 
ident  Hayes  appointed  John  C.  Fremont  governor  of  Arizona  Territory. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


EIGHTEENTH    ADMINISTRATION,    A.    D.     1857-1861. 


James  Buchanan,  President. 


John  C.  BreeTienridge,  Vice-president. 


477.  The  Fifteenth  President.— Early  in  Mr.  Bu 
chanan's  administration  two  northern  states  were  added: 
Minnesota  in  1858,  and  Oregon  in  1859,  making  thirty-three  in 
all.  The  new  President1  desired  to  appease  all  strife,  but 

the  conflict  of  principles 
was  now  too  serious  to 
yield  to  persuasion.  The 
Supreme  Court'2  of  the  Unit 
ed  States  decided  that  the 
Missouri  Compromise  was 
unconstitutional,  and  that 
slaves  might  be  carried  into 
any  territory  of  the  Union*. 
But  this  was  contrary  to  the 
Ordinance  of  1787,  which 
prohibited  slavery  in  the 
North-west  Territory. 

478.  The  excitement  be- 
james  Buchanan.  came    greater    when   John 

Brown?  formerly  of  Kansas,  actually  invaded  the  state  of 
Virginia  with  a  party  of  about  twenty  men,  for 
the  purpose  of  liberating  slaves.  He  gained 
possession  of  the  arsenal  at  Harper's  Ferry,  thinking  to  arm 
the  negroes  whom  he  expected  to  join  him.  He  was  easily 
captured, — his  party  being  either  killed  or  dispersed, — and 
was  tried,  convicted,  and  put  to  death  under  the  laws  of 
Virginia.  Though  this  rash  movement  had  no  support,  the 
(268) 


Oct.,  1859. 


MOVEMENTS  TOWARD  DISUNION. 


269 


news  of  it  excited  a  rage  of  resentment  throughout  the 
South,  where  it  was  considered  as  an  expression  of  universal 
Northern  feeling. 

479.   The   Democratic   Party   itself,  in  convention  at 
Charleston,  became  divided  on  the  question  of 
slavery  in  the  territories.    The  majority  adjourned       Apn1'  l86°' 
to  Baltimore  and  nominated  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  of  Illinois, 
to    be    the   next   President. 
A  number  of  the  delegates 
withdrew    from    this    Balti 
more  Convention  and  nomi 
nated  John  C.  Breckinridge,4 
of  Kentucky.    A.  third  party 
named  John  Bell,5  of  Ten 
nessee,    and     Edward    Ev 
erett,6  of  Massachusetts,  for 
President     and     Vice-presi 
dent.       The     Republicans 
meanwhile  nominated  Abra 
ham  Lincoln,  of  Illinois,  and 
Hannibal  Hamlin,  of  Maine. 


Jefferson  Davis. 


480.  By  dividing  its  forces, 
the  Democratic  Party  lost  the 

power  which  it  had  held  for  twelve  out  of  fifteen  presidential 
terms  since  the  accession  of  Jefferson.  Mr.  Lincoln  was 
therefore  elected  by  a  plurality  of  votes.  He  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky.  He  had  educated  himself,  in  spite  of  poverty 
and  adverse  circumstances,  to  be  a  successful  lawyer  and  a 
popular  representative  in  Congress,  and  had  fairly  won  the 
confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens  by  his  energetic  and  upright 
character. 

481.  Secession. — Immediately  after  the  election  of  Lin 
coln,  the  political  leaders  of  South  Carolina  put  in  operation 
their  plan  of  withdrawing  from  the  Union.     A  convention, 


270  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

called  for  that  purpose,  passed  an  ordinance  of  secession, 
which  was  ratified  by  the  state  legislature,  December  20, 
1860.  Within  a  few  weeks  Georgia  and  all  the  Gulf  States 
had  followed  the  example. 

482.  The   Star  of  the  West.— In  Charleston  Harbor 
Major    Anderson,    commanding    the    government    troops   in 
Fort  Moultrie,  removed  by  night  to  Fort  Sumter, — a  much 
stronger  position.     But  his  supplies  were  low,  and  his  men 
were  few;   he  could  not  long  withstand  an  attack  from  the 
batteries  which   had   been   erected   on   the   land.     Early  in 
January,   1861,  President  Buchanan  determined  to  send  re 
inforcements  and  provisions  secretly  to  the  beleaguered  na 
tional  fort.     To  this  end,   he  ordered  the  steamer  l '  Star  of 
the  West"    to   Charleston   Harbor  with  men   and  supplies. 
But  news  of  her  coming  reached  South  Carolina  before  the 

vessel;    and,    on    attempting    to   approach    Fort 

Sumter,  the  steamer  was  fired  upon  from  Morris 

Island,  and  struck   several  times.     She  was  obliged  to  put 

back  to  New  York  without  accomplishing  the  mission  of  the 

President.     This  was  the  opening  act  of  the  Civil  War. 

Kansas  was  admitted  to  the  Union  as  a  free  state  on  the 
2 pth  of  this  month,  and  took  an  active  part  in  succeeding 
events. 

483.  Confederate  States  of  America. — A  convention 
of   delegates  from  six  of   the  seven   seceding  states   met  at 
Montgomery,  Alabama,  in  February,  1861,  and  organized  a 
new  government  under  the  title  of  the  "Confederate  States 
of   America."     The   main   features  of  its  constitution  were 
modeled  upon  those  of  the  United  States,  but  the  sovereign 
rights  of  each  state  were  recognized;   the  favor  of  foreign 
nations  was  sought  by  pledges  of  free  trade;    and  slavery 
was  guaranteed  protection  not  only  in  existing  states  but  in 
territories  yet  to  be  acquired. 

Jefferson  Davis?  of  Mississippi,  and  Alexander  H.  Stephens* 


NOTES.  271 


of  Georgia,  were  elected  President  and  Vice-president  of  the 
new  Confederacy. 

484.  Washington  itself  was   the  headquarters  of  se 
cession  during  the  winter  of  i86o-'6i.      Many  leaders  of 
the  movement  were  in  the  cabinet  of  Mr.  Buchanan  and  in 
the  Senate  of  the  United  States.     The  national  government 
was  paralyzed.      Its  navy  was  scattered  to  the  most  distant 
seas,    and   a  great  part   of  its   cannon,    rifles,   and  military 
stores  were  in  southern  forts  and  arsenals,  which  were  taken 
almost  without  exception  by  the  authorities  of  the  Confeder 
ate  States.      Many  southern  officers  in  the  army  and  navy, 
believing   their   obedience   due   to   their  native  states  rather 
than  to  the  Union,  resigned  their  commissions  and  offered 
their  services  to  the  Confederate  government. 

485.  Fort  PifkenSj   near   Pensacola,   and   Fort  Sumter,   in 
Charleston   Harbor,   were  still   held   for   the  United   States; 
and  Fortress  Monroe,   the  strongest  work  on  the  coast,   was 
never  lost,   but  served  as  a  base  of  operations  at  sea. 

NOTES. 

1.  James  Buchanan,  of  Pennsylvania,  was  born  1791;   graduated  at 
Dickinson  College,  1809 ;  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  1812 ;  elected  to  the  lower 
branch  of  Congress,  1828:  appointed  minister  to  Russia,  1831;  was  United 
States  Senator  from  1833  to  1845 ;  became  Secretary  of  State  under  Polk, 
and  minister  to  England  under  Pierce.    He  was  nominated  for  President 
by  the  Democrats  m  convention  at  Cincinnati,  in  the  summer  of  1856. 
His  administration  covered  the  stormy  political  period  just  before  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.    He  was  blamed  by  the  Unionists  for  not  tak 
ing  measures  to  prevent  secession,  but  after  his  retirement  from  the  Pres 
idential  chair  he  wrote  a  book  explaining  and  defending  his  policy  while 
in  office.    Buchanan  was  never  married ;  he  died  in  18G8. 

2.  Roger  Brooke  Taney  (6.  1777,  d.  1864)  of  Maryland  was  the  Chief- 
justice  who  made  this  decision.    The  case  is  known  as  "the  Dred  Scott 
case  "    Taney  was  appointed  Chief-justice  by  President  Jackson  in  1835, 
and  took  his  seat  upon  the  Supreme  bench  in  1837. 

3.  John  Brown  was  born  in  the  year  1800  at  Torrington,  Conn.    When 
a  boy  he  moved  to  northern  Ohio.    Going  to  Kansas  in  1855,  he  and  four 
grown  sons  were  prominent  in  their  armed  opposition  to  the  pro-slavery 
party.    Their  home  was  near  the  town  of  Osawatomie,  from  which  the 
father  became  known  as  "  Osawatomie   Brown."     His  invasion  of  Vir 
ginia  with  so  small  a  number  of  followers  would  seem  to  indicate  his  in 
sanity   at   the   time.     Even  his  enemies  credit  him   with   undaunted 
bravery. 

4.  John  Cabell  Breckenridge  (6. 1821,  d.  1875)  was  of  an  excellent  Ken 
tucky  family,  received  a  good  education,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in 
national  politics.    He  was  a  major  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  afterwards 


272  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


was  elected  to  his  state  legislature.  In  1851,  and  again  in  1853.  he  was  sent 
to  the  United  States  House  of  Representatives.  He  was  Buchanan's  Vice- 
president,  and  in  1860  was  made  United  States  Senator.  He  defended  the 
Southern  Confederacy  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate,  and  then  joined  the 
Confederate  army.  He  was  created  a  major-general,  and  took  part  in 
several  of  the  most  important  conflicts  of  the  war.  He  was  appointed 
Confederate  Secretary  of  War  in  1865,  and  after  the  close  of  the  struggle 
went  to  Europe,  where  he  remained  for  a  few  years.  He  died  at  his  home 
in  Kentucky. 

5.  John  Bell  (6.  1797,  d.  1869)  was  a  statesman  upon  whom  his  native 
state  conferred  many  political  honors.    First  elected  a  member  of  the 
United  States  House  of  Representatives  in  1827,  he  was  returned  for  seven 
consecutive  terms ;  in  1834  he  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House.    President 
Harrison  selected  Mr.  Eell  as  his  Secretary  of  War.    In  1847  he  was  elected 
to  the  United  States  Senate,  and  again  in  1853.    His  nomination  for  the 
Presidency  was  by  the  "  Constitutional  Union  "  party. 

6.  Edward  Everett  (&.  1794,  d.  1865)   was  a  distinguished  American 
statesman,  orator,  and  writer.    Robert  C.  Winthrop,  of   Massachusetts, 
sums  up  Everett's  character  thus :  "  He  was  an  ardent  and  gifted  scholar, 
an  accomplished  and  devoted  professor,  a  cautious  and  conservative 
statesman,  a  sincere  and  earnest  patriot,  an  exhaustless  and  consum 
mate  rhetorician.    He  was  a  true  man,  an  ever-obliging  and  faithful 
friend,  a  good  citizen.    .    .    .    The  annals  of  our  country  to  the  day  of  his 
death  will  be  searched  in  vain  for  another  so  ready,  prolific,  and  brilliant 
a  writer  and  speaker,  or  for  one  who  has  done  more  both  to  adorn  Ameri 
can  literature,  and  to  advocate  and  advance  every  public  interest  and 
patriotic  cause." 

7.  Jefferson  Davis  was  born  in  Kentucky,  1808;  graduated  from  the 
United  States  Military  Academy,  West  Point,  1828;  was  employed  for  a 
time  in  arduous  frontier  service,  and  fought  bravely  in  the  Mexican  War. 
He  was  severely  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista.    He  first  entered 
Congress — the  lower  house — in  1845,  and  was  promoted  to  the  Senate  in 
1847.    During  President  Pierce's  administration,  Davis  was  his  Secretary 
of  War.    Afterwards  he  returned  to  the  Senate,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
prominent  Democratic  leaders  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.    His 
fortunes  in  the  Confederacy  are  related  in  the  text. 

8.  Alexander  Hamilton  Stephens  was  born  near  Crawfordville,  Ga., 
1812.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the  State  University  at  the  age  of  20;  was  ad 
mitted  to  the  bar  in  1834;  and  entered  the  state  legislature  two  years  later. 
From  that  date  he  was  actively  engaged  in  political  life  most  of  the 
time.  He  was  sent  to  the  United  States  House  of  Representatives  in  1843, 
where  he  remained  for  sixteen  years— a  statesman  whose  ability  was  rec 
ognized  by  all  parties.  After  the  Civil  War  the  Georgia  general  assembly 
elected  Mr.  Stephens  to  the  United  States  Senate;  but,  the  state  not  hav 
ing  been  fully  restored  to  the  Union  under  the  reconstruction  require 
ments,  he  was  not  permitted  to  take  his  seat.  In  1872,  however,  he  was 
elected  to  the  United  States  House  of  Representatives,  and  held  his  seat 
there  until  1882,  when  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Georgia.  He  died  in 
1883,  and  was  buried  with  the  most  distinguished  honors. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW.  — PART  IV. 


Section 

1.  Describe  the  condition  of  the  states  at  the  close  of 

the  Revolution.  309,  310 

2.  What  arrangements  were  made  with  the  Indians?  311,  312 

3.  Describe  the  formation  and  adoption  of  the  Con 

stitution.  3I3~3I9 

4.  Name  the  first  President  and  his  cabinet.  320,  321 

5.  What  was  their  policy  in  money  matters  ?  322 

6.  What  four  causes  of  disturbance  in  Washington's 

time  ?  326-330 

7.  What  three  foreign  treaties  were  made?  331,  334,  335 

8.  What  did  Washington  say  of  the  advantages  of 

union  ?  337 

9.  Describe  his  character  and  habits  as  President.  336,  338,  339 

10.  Describe  the  two  political  parties  and  their  princi- )  333,  340,  351, 

pies.                                                                        j  390,  392,  398 

11.  What  three  cities  have  been  seats  of  the  Federal 

Government?  320,  323,  347 

12.  What  occasioned  the  Alien  and  Sedition  laws,  and 

why  were  they  repealed  ?  341,  342 

13.  What   troubles  with  France  during   Adams's  ad 

ministration  ?  343-345 

14.  How  did  cotton  become  profitable  ?  348 

15.  Describe  the  beginning  of  Ohio.  324,  325,  349 

16.  What  can  you   tell  of  Jefferson,   his  policy  and 

character?  35I~353 

17.  How  was  Louisiana  acquired,  and  what  was  done 

with  it  ?  356-359 

18.  Describe  the  successive  dealings  of   the  govern- )  329,  335,  360, 

ment  with  the  Barbary  States.                           j  397> 

19.  Tell  the  story  of  Aaron  Burr.  350,  361,  362 

20.  What  caused  the  War  of  1812  ?  364-368 

21.  Describe  the  first  campaign  on  land.  368-371 


)  372,  373,  377- 
J  382 
U.  S.  H.— 18.  (273) 


22.     What  was  done  by  the  American  navy  ? 


274  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES, 

Section 

23.  What  was  done  by  General  Harrison  ?                          375,  376,  383 

24.  Describe  two  campaigns  of  Jackson.                              384,  394,  395 

25.  Describe  the  war  on  the  coast.  385,  386 

26.  What  was  the  cause  of  the  Hartford  Convention  ?      387,  390,  392 

27.  What  occurred  in  1814  in  northern  New  York?  390,  391 

28.  Describe  the  return  of  peace.                                        I  393'  396'  398' 

1400 

29.  What  seven  states  were  admitted  A.D.  1812-1820?     383,  399,  402 

f    62,  135,   148, 

30.  Describe  the  progress  of  slavery.                                -j  152,  251,  401, 

1 402,  441 

31.  Describe  the  progress  of  steam  navigation.  363,  403 

32.  What  is  the  "Monroe  Doctrine?"  404 

33.  What  was  Mr.  Monroe's  Indian  policy?  406 

34.  Describe  J.  Q.  Adams's  administration.  409-414 

35.  Describe  the  policy  of  Jackson.  415,  421-425 

36.  What  was  the  subject  of  Webster's  and  Hayne's 

debate?  416,  417 

37.  Describe  Indian  affairs  during  Jackson's  adminis 

tration.                                                      ,  .  418-420 

38.  Describe  the  financial  condition  and  policy  of  the 

Government.  422-424 

39.  What  changes  during  Van  Buren's  term?  427—43° 

40.  Describe  Harrison's  election  and  time  of  service.  433,  434 

41.  Describe  Tyler's  policy.  435 

42.  What  happened  in  Rhode  Island  ?  437 

43.  Tell  the  story  of  the  Mormons.  438,  439 

44.  What   treaties  were  made  with   Great   Britain  in 

1842  and  1846?                                                       436,  443,  444 

45.  What  occasioned  a  war  with  Mexico  ?                            440,  441,  445 

46.  Describe  its  main  events.  446-456 

47.  What  were  the  terms  of  peace?  457 

48.  Consequences  of  the  gold  discovery?  45$,  459 

49.  What  was  the  Wilmot  Proviso  ?  460 

50.  How  were  Iowa  and  Wisconsin  first  settled  ?  461 

51.  Describe  Taylor's  administration.     That  of  Fillmore.  462-468 

52.  Foreign  treaties  made  and  attempted.  470,  472 

53.  Pacific  Railroad  explorations.  471 

54.  Consequences  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill.  473-476 

55.  What  were  the  great  events  of  Buchanan's  term?  477-485 


PART  V.— THE   CIVIL  WAR. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

NINETEENTH    ADMINISTRATION,    A.    D.     1861-1865. 


Abraham  Lincoln,  President. 


Hannibal  Hamlin,  Vice-president. 


The  First  Gun,— Battery  Stevens. 

486.  The  Sixteenth  President. — No  President  since 
Washington  had  taken  upon  him  so  heavy  a  burden  with  the 
oath  to  "  preserve,  protect,  and  defend  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States."  That  Constitution  had  secured  great  happi 
ness  to  the  people  during  seventy-two  years  of  seldom-broken 
peace :  it  was  yet  to  be  seen  whether  it  would  bear  the  strain 
of  civil  war, — such  a  war  as  the  world  had  not  known  in 
nineteen  hundred  years. 

(275) 


276 


HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


487.    In  his  inaugural  address  Mr.   Lincoln1  declared 

that  he  had  neither  the  right  nor  the  wish  to  interfere  with 

Southern  institutions,   but  designed  to  hold  and 

:h4,i86i.    defend  the  property  of  the  United  States  against 

any  who  should  assail  it.     He  threw  upon  the  politicians  of 

the  South  the  whole  respon 
sibility  of  the  calamities  which 
must  follow  the  destruction  of 
the  Union,  assuring  them  that 
there  could  be  no  conflict  un 
less  they  themselves  should 
choose  to  begin  it. 

488.  Miscalculations.— 

No  one,  probably,  imagined 
the  horrible  magnitude  of  the 
struggle  then  commencing. 
Mr.  Seward,2  then  Secretary 
of  State,  predicted  that  the 
war, — if  there  was  a  war, — 
would  not  last  more  than 
ninety  days.  The  South,  on 
the  other  hand,  relied  upon  the  great  number  of  her  sympa 
thizers  in  the  North  to  prevent  any  energetic  action  on  the 
part  of  the  Government.  Moreover,  she  believed  that  if 
her  cotton  was  withheld  from  European  factories,  France 
and  England  would  combine  to  put  an  end  to  the  war  and 
procure  the  needed  supply. 

489.  Fall  of  Fort  Sumter.— Before  daylight  of  the 
1 2th  of  April,  1 86 1,  the  first  cannon-ball  from  a  Confederate 
battery  struck  the  wall  of  Fort  Sumter.  The  bombardment 
was  kept  up  for  thirty-four  hours,  until  at  midnight  of  the 
1 3th  Major  Anderson  found  that  longer  resistance  was  im 
possible.  By  the  terms  of  surrender  he  marched  out  with 
his  eighty  men,  with  all  the  honors  of  war,  and  spent  the 


Abraham  Lincoln. 


ARMING  FOR   CIVIL   WAR. 


277 


remnant  of  his  powder  in  a  last   salute   to  the  stars  and 
stripes. 

490.  The  news  flew  along  the  electric  wires  and  aroused 
both  divisions  of  the  country  to  more  decided  action.  Vir 
ginia,  Arkansas,  North  Carolina,  and  Tennessee,  which  had 
wavered,  renounced  the  Union  and  joined  their  fortunes 
with  the  Confederate  States.  On  the  other  hand,  Missouri, 
Kentucky,  Maryland,  and  Delaware  refused  to  secede.  The 
navy-yard  at  Norfolk,  with  its  2,000  cannon  and  immense 
stores  of  war  materials,  was  seized  by  Virginia  troops.  The 
United  States  arsenal  at 
Harper's  Ferry  was 
burned  by  order  of  the 
Federal  commander. 


f  Miles 


Sketch  of  Charleston  Harbor. 


491.  Formation  of 
Armies. — Both  presi 
dents  called  for  volun 
teers,  and  both  calls 
were  answered  with  en 
thusiasm.  For  the  de 
fense  of  the  national 
capital,  which  was  in 
immediate  danger,  mili 
tia  regiments  hastened 
from  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and  New  York.  The 
"Sixth  Massachusetts"  was  attacked  in  its  passage  through 
Baltimore,  and  several  men  were  killed.  It  was  the  eighty- 
sixth  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Lexington,  where  their 
great-grandfathers  had  shed  the  first  blood  in  the  struggle  for 
freedom  (§232).  Even  then  it  was  felt  to  be  unnatural  and 
degrading  that  men  of  the  same  English  race  should  destroy 
each  other.  The  present  strife  was  more  unnatural,  and  all 
who  wrere  not  maddened  by  excitement  felt  that  victory  on 
either  side  must  be  mingled  with  regret. 


276  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

487.    In  his  inaugural  address  Mr.   Lincoln1  declared 

that  he  had  neither  the  right  nor  the  wish  to  interfere  with 

Southern  institutions,   but  designed  to  hold  and 

defend  the  property  of  the  United  States  against 

any  who  should  assail  it.     He  threw  upon  the  politicians  of 

the  South  the  whole  respon 
sibility  of  the  calamities  which 
must  follow  the  destruction  of 
the  Union,  assuring  them  that 
there  could  be  no  conflict  un 
less  they  themselves  should 
choose  to  begin  it. 

488.  Miscalculations.— 

No  one,  probably,  imagined 
the  horrible  magnitude  of  the 
struggle  then  commencing. 
Mr.  Seward,2  then  Secretary 
of  State,  predicted  that  the 
war, — if  there  was  a  war, — 
would  not  last  more  than 

Abraham  Lincoln. 

ninety  days.     The  South,  on 

the  other  hand,  relied  upon  the  great  number  of  her  sympa 
thizers  in  the  North  to  prevent  any  energetic  action  on  the 
part  of  the  Government.  Moreover,  she  believed  that  if 
her  cotton  was  withheld  from  European  factories,  France 
and  England  would  combine  to  put  an  end  to  the  war  and 
procure  the  needed  supply. 

489.  Fall  of  Fort  Sumter. — Before  daylight  of  the 
1 2th  of  April,  1 86 1,  the  first  cannon-ball  from  a  Confederate 
battery  struck  the  wall  of  Fort  Sumter.  The  bombardment 
was  kept  up  for  thirty-four  hours,  until  at  midnight  of  the 
1 3th  Major  Anderson  found  that  longer  resistance  was  im 
possible.  By  the  terms  of  surrender  he  marched  out  with 
his  eighty  men,  with  all  the  honors  of  war,  and  spent  the 


ARMING  FOR  CIVIL   WAR. 


277 


remnant  of  his  powder  in  a  last   salute   to  the   stars  and 
stripes. 

490.  The  news  flew  along  the  electric  wires  and  aroused 
both  divisions  of  the  country  to  more  decided  action.     Vir 
ginia,  Arkansas,  North  Carolina,  and  Tennessee,  which  had 
wavered,    renounced   the   Union   and  joined   their   fortunes 
with  the  Confederate  States.     On  the  other  hand,  Missouri, 
Kentucky,  Maryland,  and  Delaware  refused  to  secede.     The 
navy-yard  at  Norfolk,   with  its  2,000  cannon  and  immense 
stores  of  war  materials,  was  seized  by  Virginia  troops.     The 
United  States  arsenal  at 

Harper's  Ferry  was 
burned  by  order  of  the 
Federal  commander. 

491.  Formation  of 
Armies. — Both    presi 
dents  called  for  volun 
teers,    and    both    calls 
were  answered  with  en 
thusiasm.     For  the  de 
fense    of    the    national 
capital,    which    was    in 
immediate  danger,  mili 
tia  regiments    hastened  Sketch  of  Charleston  Harbor, 
from   Massachusetts,    Rhode   Island,    and   New  York.     The 
"Sixth  Massachusetts"  was  attacked  in  its  passage  through 
Baltimore,  and  several  men  were  killed.     It  was  the  eighty- 
sixth   anniversary  of  the  battle    of  Lexington,    where  their 
great-grandfathers  had  shed  the  first  blood  in  the  struggle  for 
freedom  (§232).      Even  then  it  was  felt  to  be  unnatural  and 
degrading  that  men  of  the  same  English  race  should  destroy 
each  other.      The  present  strife  was  more  unnatural,  and  all 
who  were  not  maddened  by  excitement  felt  that  victory  on 
either  side  must  be  mingled  with  regret. 


278  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

492.  In  the  east  the  main  field  of  war  was  Virginia; 
in  the  west,  at  first,  Missouri.     Though  the  latter  state  had 
voted  against  secession,   it  contained  a  strong   Confederate 
party,   and   sixty   battles  were  fought  upon  its  soil  within  a 
year.      In   the   part   of  Virginia  west   of    the   Alleghanies  a 
majority  of   the   people   were   attached   to    the   Union.      In 
1861-62  the  necessary  steps  for  organization  were  taken,  and 
the  separate  state  of   West  Virginia  was  admitted  to  the 
United  States  in  June,  1863.      Meanwhile  General  McClellan, 
with   his   Union   army,    gained   repeated   victories   over   the 
Confederate  generals  Garnett,   Floyd,   and  Lee,  who  sought 
to  retain  West  Virginia  by  force. 

493.  Richmond,  the  capital  of  old  Virginia,  was  also  the 
capital  of  the  Confederate  States.      The  Southern  cry,   * '  On 
to  Washington!"  was  echoed  by  the  Northern  shout,   "On 
to  Richmond !  "     The  most  serious  battle  of  the  year  took 
place  at  Bull  Run,   on  Sunday,   July  21.      General  Beaure- 
gard3    commanded   the   Confederate    army  of  30,000   men. 
General  McDowell's  forces  consisted  of  a  nearly  equal  num 
ber,  composed  mainly  of  volunteers  for  ninety  days  ;  he  had, 
however,  one  battalion  of  Regulars  and  a  few  regiments  of 
three  years'  men.      For   six  hours  the   Northern  men  stood 
their  ground,  and  kept  or  regained  all  their  positions.     The 
Confederates  were  once  broken  and  driven  a  mile  and  a  half 
from  the  field;  but  they  were  rallied  by  Gen.  T.  J.  Jackson, 
whose  inflexible    bravery  there  won   for   him    the   name   of 
"Stonewall"  Jackson. 

494.  A  Southern  Victory. — At  the  moment  when  the 
Confederate    cause    seemed    lost,    suddenly   General    Kirby 
Smith  arrived  with  fresh  forces   for  their  relief.      The  Union 
troops,  exhausted  by  intense  heat  and  furious  fighting,  were 
thrown  into  confusion,  and  battle  was  changed  to  flight.      A 
confused  throng  of  fugitives  filled  all  the  roads  to  Washing 
ton,  and  never  rested  until  they  were  safely  over  the  Long 
Bridge  across  the  Potomac. 


CREATION  OF  A  NAVY. 


279 


495.  According  to  Mr.  Pollard,  the  Southern  historian,  the 
victory  at  Bull  Run  was  a  misfortune  to  the  Confederacy,  for 
it  led  to  ill-grounded  confidence.  Southern  volunteers  left 
the  army  in  crowds,  thinking  that  the  war  was  over.  The 
National  Government  was  roused  to  more  serious  effort. 
Congress  voted  five  hundred 
millions  of  dollars  and  half  a 
million  of  men.  General 
George  B.  McClellan,4  who 
had  distinguished  himself  in 
West  Virginia,  was  called  to 
command  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac;  and  when,  a  few 
months  later,  General  Scott 
retired  from  active  service, 
McClellan  became  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  all  the 
forces  of  the  United  States. 


George  B.  McClellan. 


496.  Of    the    national 
navy  only  one  war-steamer 

was  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  there  was  not  a  gun  on  the 
Mississippi  or  any  of  its  branches.  With  wonderful  energy 
the  Government  created  a  great  steam-navy  to  blockade  the 
Southern  ports,  and  a  fleet  of  gun-boats  to  patrol  the  Missis 
sippi.3  Though  European  governments  declared  that  a 
blockade  of  so  long  a  coast-line  could  never  be  enforced, 
they  acknowledged  within  a  few  months  that  it  was  complete 
and  effective. 

497.  The  Blockade. — The  South  had  been  used  to  re 
ceive  all  manufactured  articles  from  Europe  in  exchange  for 
her  cotton  and  other  agricultural  products.     Now  that  she 
was  cut  off  from  intercourse  with  the  civilized  world,  cotton 
could   not   go   out   and   cannon   could    not    come   in;    and 
though   she  had   begun  the  war  with  abundant  supplies  of 


2 So  HISTORY  OF   TttE   UNITED  STATES. 


money  and  material  (§484),  its  continuance  must  depend  on 
breaking  or  ' '  running  "  the  blockade. 

498.  Many   a   spirited   chase    occurred   between   the 
national   steamers   and    the   low,  light,   neutral-colored  craft 
which   swarmed    in   bays   and   sounds,    and    slipped   out   at 
night,  bound  for  the  West  Indies  or  for  Europe.     President 
Davis  issued  "letters  of   marque"  to  privateers  who  made 
reprisals  upon   Northern   commerce.      Captain   Semmes,6  of 
the   Sumter,    had   many    successes;    but    at    length    he    was 
blockaded  in  the  port  of  Gibraltar,  until  he  sold  his  vessel 
and  traveled  to  England  to  buy  a  new  one.     This  was  the 
far-famed  Alabama,  so  called,  though  she  was  registered  only 
by  her  number,  290,  on  the  builder's  list.      In  her  cruise  of 
twenty  months  she  almost  drove  American  commerce  from 
the   sea,    destroying    sixty-five   vessels    and    property    worth 
$10,000,000.      She   was   sunk   at   last   in   a  battle   with   the 
United  States  war-steamer  Kearsarge,   commanded  by  Cap 
tain  Winslow,  on  the  coast  of  France,  June,   1864. 

499.  Messrs.  Mason  and  Slidell,  envoys  to  England 
and   France   from  the  new  Confederacy,   were  taken  in  the 

Bahama  Channel   from  the  English  mail-steamer 

Nov     1861. 

Trent,  by  Captain  Wilkes,  of  the  United  States 
steam  sloop-of-war  San  Jacinto.  Great  wrath  was  expressed 
at  this  "insult  to  the  British  flag,"  and  it  was  predicted  that 
England  within  twenty  days  would  break  the  blockade  and 
declare  war  against  the  United  States. 

500.  End  of  the  Trent  Affair. —  The  Federal  govern 
ment,    however,    promptly    disavowed    the    act    of    Captain 
Wilkes,   and   set    the  envoys  at   liberty,   having  no  mind  to 
assert  a  "right  of  search"  which  had  been  so  justly  resented 
when    exercised    by    Great    Britain    before    1812     (§367). 
France,     England,    and    Spain    had    proclaimed    neutrality 
toward    both    "belligerent    powers,"    thus    recognizing    the 
Confederacy   as   on   nearly   the   same  footing  as  the  United 


NOTES.  281 


States.  The  neutrality  was  infringed  in  England  by  the  fit 
ting  out  of  vessels  in  the  Confederate  interests,  but  the 
damage  thence  resulting  was  made  good  by  the  payment  of 
$15,500,000  after  the  war. 

501.  Before  the  end  of  1861  the  National  Government 
had  regained  a  considerable  part  of  the  Atlantic  coast  by  the 
capture  of  the  forts  at  Hatteras  Inlet  and  Port  Royal  En 
trance,7  and  the  occupation  of  Tybee  Island,  near  the  mouth 
of  Savannah  River.  The  army,  which  had  numbered  16,000 
at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  had  risen  to  600,000  by  the 
first  of  December,  and  the  Secretary  of  War  announced  that 
the  Government  was  able  not  only  to  protect  itself,  but  to 
attack  any  foreign  power  which  should  meddle  with  our  do 
mestic  affairs. 

NOTES. 

1.  Abraham  Lincoln  (6. 1809,  d.  1865)  was  born  In  Hardin  (now  Larue) 
County.  Ky.    His  father  could  neither  read  nor  write,  and  when  his  son 
was  in  his  eighth  year  he  migrated  to  the  backwoods  of  Indiana.    Here 
Abraham  grew  to  manhood  as  a  farm  laborer  and  store  clerk,  with  but 
little  time  or  opportunity  for  education.    In  1828  he  was  hired  by  a  flat- 
boatman,  and  made  a  trip  to  New  Orleans.    After  his  return  his  family 
removed  to  Illinois,  and  he  was  employed  for  some  time  in  assisting  his 
father  to  split  rails  for  the  fences.    In  the  succeeding  years  we  find  him 
employed  variously  as  a  flatboatman,  clerk,  surveyor,  postmaster,  and 
river  pilot.    During  the  Black  Hawk  War  (g  418)  he  served  as  captain,  and 
on  his  return,  becoming  interested  in  politics,  he  was  elected  to  the  Illi 
nois  state  legislature  in  1834.    In  the  midst  of  his  varied  occupations  he 
managed  to  study  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1837.    He  settled 
at  Springfield,  Illinois,  where  he  attained  great  reputation  as  a  lawyer. 
He  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  Presidential  campaigns  of  1840  and  1844, 
and  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Representatives  in  1840.    From  this  time 
he  was  not  prominent  in  politics  until  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Com 
promise  (§402),  when  he  was  called  upon  to  reply  to  a  speech  made  by 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  at  Springfield,  111.,  in  support  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska 
bill.    Lincoln's  speech  on  this  occasion  is  considered  the  most  effective 
ever  made   by   him.     It  carried  the  audience  by  storm,  and  at  once 
stamped  Lincoln  as  the  proper  candidate  to  pit  against  Douglas.    The 
contest  between  these  two  for  the  United  States  Fenatorship  resulted  in 
Douglas's  favor,  but  brought  Lincoln  prominently  before  the  country,  and 
led  to  his  nomination  in  1860  for  the  Presidency. 

In  appearance,  as  in  character,  Lincoln  was  a  most  remarkable  man. 
He  was  six  feet  four  inches  high,  gaunt  and  rugged,  a  fitting  type  of  the 
class  from  which  he  sprang.  But  the  rough  exterior  covered  a  noble 
mind  and  a  heart  that  bore  "  malice  toward  none,  with  charity  for  all." 
In  his  death  the  South  felt  that  it  had  lost  its  best  friend  ;  the  North,  its 
grandest  President ;  and  the  colored  people,  their  emancipator.  His  name 
is  fitly  coupled  with  that  of  Washington,  and  "  The  Martyred  President" 
will  ever  remain  sacred  in  the  memory  of  the  American  people. 

2.  William  Henry  Seward  (6. 1801,  d.  1872)  was  bom  in  Florida,  Orange 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  after  graduating  at  Union  College  commenced  the 
practice  of  law.    He  was  soon  drawn  into  politics,  arid  before  he  was 


282  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


thirty  years  of  age  was  elected  to  the  state  senate.  From  this  time  for 
ward  we  find  him  prominent  in  the  councils  of  both  state  and  nation. 
Twenty-four  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  the  three  important  posts  of 
governor  of  New  York,  Senator  in  Congress,  and  Secretary  of  State.  In 
the  latter  position  he  had  the  most  difficult  office  to  fill  in  Lincoln's  cab 
inet,  owing  to  the  great  importance  at  that  time  attached  to  our  foreign 
relations.  His  keen,  far-seeing  judgment  and  prompt,  decisive  action 
justified  the  President's  selection.  Mr.  Seward  was  a  man  of  indomitable 
perseverance  and  courage.  "  Few  public  men  of  any  note  have  been  sub 
jected  to  more  sudden  and  desperate  reverses,  and  none  ever  bore  them 
with  more  fortitude  or  set  to  work  more  energetically  to  recover  from 
them."  While  these  qualities  made  him  respected  and  admired  of  his 
friends,  they  also  roused  the  most  bitter  feelings  in  his  opponents ;  and 
during  the  latter  part  of  his  political  career,  as  an  adherent  of  Andrew 
Johnson,  he  was  repeatedly  subject  to  savage  attacks  even  by  his  own  po 
litical  party ;  but  Seward  remained  uncoiiquered  to  the  end,  and,  though 
broken  in  health,  spent  the  declining  years  of  his  life  in  a  trip  around  tlie 
world.  This  was  followed  on  his  return  by  the  publication  of  a  book  de 
scribing  his  travels,  and  full  of  keen  observations  on  all  that  he  had  seen. 
He  died  at  Auburn,  New  York,  in  the  seventy -second  year  of  his  age. 

3.  General  Pierre  Gustave  Toutant  Beauregard,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  efficient  generals  of  the  South,  was  born  near  New  Or 
leans,  in  1818,  and  was  educated  at  West  Point,  where  he  graduated  in  1838. 
He  was  twice  breveted  for  gallant  service  in  the  Mexican  War,  first  as  a 
captain  and  afterward  as  a  major.    At  the  close  of  that  war  he  was  made 
a  member  of  a  special  board  of  engineers  for  the  improvement  of  har 
bors  and  rivers,  and  the  erection  of  defenses  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.    Later 
he  had  charge  of  the  construction  of  the  custom-house,  quarantine  ware 
houses,  and  marine  hospital  at  New  Orleans.    In  January,  1861,  he  was 
appointed  superintendent  of   West  Point,  but  almost  immediately  re 
signed  the  position  and  entered  the  army  of  the  Confederacy  with  the 
rank  of  brigadier-general.    At  the  time  of  the  surrender  he  had  attained 
the  highest  possible  rank.    He  then  retired  to  private  life  in  New  Orleans. 

4.  General  George  Brinton  McClellan  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in 
1826,  and  graduated  at  West  Point  with  high  honors.    He  saw  his  first 
active  service  in  the  war  with  Mexico,  where^he  distinguished  himself  for 
gallant  conduct,  and  was  breveted  first  lieutenant  and  captain.    As  an  en 
gineer,  he  accompanied  exploring  expeditions  up  the  Red  River  and  over 
the  route  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad.    The  Government  appointed 
him  on  a  commission  to  visit  the  seat  of  the  Crimean  War  in  18.55,  and  011 
his  return  published  his  official  report  on  the  "  Organization  of  European 
Armies,  and  Operations  in  the  Crimea."    He  has  also  written  and  trans 
lated  other  works  of  a  military  nature.    In  1857  he  resigned  from  the 
army,  and  interested  himself  in  various  railroad  enterprises  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War.    Much  dissatisfaction  was  felt  at  his  ap 
parently  dilatory  conduct  of  the  war  in  Virginia,  and  he  was  finally  or 
dered  on  November  7, 1882,  to  proceed  to  Trenton,  N.  J.,  and  there  await 
further  orders.    He  took  no  further  part  in  the  war,  and  resigned  his  po 
sition  in  the  army  on  November  8th,  18fi4,  the  day  he  was  defeated  as  the 
Democratic  nominee  for  President.     For  the  three  years  succeeding  Jan 
uary  1,  1878,  he  was  governor  of  New  Jersey. 

5.  This  was  due  to  the  energy  and  ability  of  Mr.  G.  V.  Fox,  Assistant 
Secretary  of  the  Navy.    "  For  four  years  his  ardent  mind,  practical  and 
full  of  resources, effectively  controlled  the  department,  and  at  the  expira 
tion  of  those  memorable  four  years  he  retired  without  aspiring  to  any 
other  reward  than  the  satisfaction  of  having  served  his  country  well." 

6.  Raphael  Semmes  was  the  Paul  Jones  of  the  Civil  War  (\  283).    He 
was  born  in  Charles  County,  Maryland,  in  1809,  and  entered  the  navy  as  a 
midshipman  in  1826.    Ho  gained  his  first  experience  in  the  Mexican  War, 
where  he  served  both  on  board  ship  and  on  shore.    He  has  published  sev 
eral  works  giving  accounts  of  the  Mexican  War,  and  the  exploits  of  the 
"Sumter"  and  "Alabama." 

7.  The  bombardment  of  Fort  Walker,  one  of  the  forts  guarding  Port 
Royal,  was  so  severe  that  the  garrison  was  compelled  to  evacuate  it,  ex 
cepting  three  brave  men,  who  remained,  and  for  half  an  hour  continued 
to  load  and  fire  the  only  gun  that  replied  to  the  enemy. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

NINETEENTH    ADMINISTRATION EVENTS    OF    1862. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  President.  Hannibal  Hamlin,  Vice-president. 

502.  Three  objects  were  now  kept  steadily  in  view  by 
the  Union  generals:  (i)  The  opening  of  the  Mississippi 
River;  (2)  The  recovery  of  the  coast;  and  (3)  The  capture 
of  Richmond. 

The  first  was  accomplished  by  a  severe  and  continuous 
struggle  of  eighteen  months.  General  Albert  Sidney  John 
ston  l  commanded  the  Confederate  forces  in  the  West.  His 
main  task  was  to  protect  the  ' '  Memphis  and  Charleston 
Railroad,"  which  connected  the  country  west  of  the  Missis 
sippi  with  Richmond  and  the  coast,  and  conveyed  supplies 
of  Texan  beef  to  the  Southern  army.  His  line  of  defense 
extended  from  Columbus  to  Bowling  Green  in  Kentucky; 
and  its  strongest  points  were  near  the  center  of  the  line,  at 
Fort  Henry,  on  the  Tennessee,  and  Fort  Donelson,  on  the 
Cumberland  River. 

503.  Fort  Henry  was  first  attacked  by  the  Union  gun 
boats  under  Commodore  Foote,2  and  was  taken  after  an 
hour's  fighting;  but  the  garrison  made  good  their  retreat  to 
the  stronger  works  of  Fort  Donelson.  This  was  besieged  by 
General  Grant  with  a  Union  army,  in  concert 

J  eb.  12,  1862. 

with  the  gun-boats  which  arrived  two  days  later 
up  the  Cumberland.  An  attack  was  made,  but  a  heavy  can 
nonade  from  the  fort  repulsed  the  gun-boats,  and  Com 
modore  Foote  received  a  serious  wound.  Early  the  next 
morning  the  garrison  attempted  to  break  through  the  be 
sieging  lines  and  escape  to  Nashville;  but  though  the  fight 
was  desperate,  they  were  defeated  and  driven  within  their 

(283) 


284  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

trenches.      The    national    soldiers   lay    three   nights    on    the 
frozen  ground,  pelted  by  storms  of  sleet  and  snow. 

504.  Surrender  of  Donelson. — Before  daylight  of  Feb 
ruary  15,  General  Buckner,  then  commanding  the  fort, — as 
his   superiors,    Floyd   and   Pillow,   had   consulted  their   own 
interests  by  retiring, — sent  to  ask  what  terms  of  capitulation 
would  be  accepted.     Grant  replied,    "None,   but  uncondi 
tional  surrender;"   and  added,    "I   propose  to  move  imme 
diately  upon  your  works."     Fort  Donelson  was  surrendered 
with   15,000  men,  and  the  line  of  defense  thus  broken  was 
necessarily  abandoned.      Nashville,  Columbus,  and  Bowling 
Green  were  occupied  by  Union  troops,  and  the  Mississippi 
was  open  as  far  south  as  Arkansas. 

505.  Grant  was  placed  in  command  of  the  new  military 
department  of  Western  Tennessee,  and  the  field  of  conflict  was 
removed  to  the  southern  border  of  that  state.     The  "  Mem 
phis  and  Charleston  Railroad  "  was  now  the  object  of  attack, 
especially  at  Corinth,  where  it  crosses  the  ' '  Mobile  and  Ohio 
Railroad."     Ascending  the  Tennessee  River,   Grant  posted 
himself  near   Pittsburg   Landing,    at   Shiloh,    awaiting  rein 
forcements  from  Buell. 

506.  Battle  of  Shiloh. — Here  he  was  attacked  by  Gen 
erals  Johnston  .and  Beauregard  with  a  fine  Confederate  army 
of  40,000  men.     The  battle  raged  all  day  mainly  to  the  ad 
vantage  of  the  assailants,   who   captured   the  Union   camp, 
with  thirty  flags,  3,000  prisoners,  and  an  immense  quantity 
of  war  materials.      They  were  compelled  to  fall  back,  how 
ever,   with  the  loss  of  their  general-in-chief,   while  Generals 
Grant  and  Sherman  rallied  the  Union  forces,  many  of  whom 
had  never  been  in  battle  before,   and  saved   the  first  day's 
engagement  from  being  an  utter  rout. 

507.  The  next  morning   the   fight  was  renewed.     Buell's 
fresh  forces  had  arrived  upon  the  field,  and  the  tide  turned. 
The  second  day's  battle  continued  from  before  sunrise  until 


INVASION  OF  KENTUCKY,  285 

late  in  the  afternoon.  At  last  the  Confederates  retreated  in 
good  order  toward  Corinth,  and  Grant  remained  in  posses 
sion  of  the  field.  Island  Number  Ten  was  sur- 

April  7,  1862. 

rendered  on  the  same  day,  after  a  three  weeks 
bombardment,  and  its  garrison  of   5,000  men  became  pris 
oners  of  war. 

508.  A  battle  on  the  Mississippi  between  the  Union 
gun-boats  and  the  Confederate  iron-clads,  resulted  in  victory 
to  the  former.     Fort  Pillow  was  abandoned,   Memphis  was 
taken,  and  the  great  river  was  open  to  the  Union  forces  as 
far  south   as  Vicksburg.      Beauregard   abandoned   Corinth, 
and  fell  back  on  his  third  line  of  defense,  extending  through 
central  Mississippi  to  Alabama. 

During  this  grand  campaign  for  the  Mississippi  and  the 
railway  connections  in  the  South,  the  war  in  Missouri  had 
been  virtually  ended  by  the  expulsion  of  General  Price  and 
the  defeat  of  his  army, — now  commanded  by  General  Van 
Dorn, — at  Pea  Ridge,  in  Arkansas.  The  Confederates  had 
increased  their  numbers  by  several  thousands  of  Indians; 
but  these  were  thrown  into  confusion  by  the  terrific  roar  and 
fatal  effects  of  the  Federal  artillery,  so  that  they  only  con 
tributed  to  the  defeat  of  their  allies. 

509.  A  Double  Movement. — "The  war  was  in  truth  a 
vast  siege,"  but  the  South  was  unwilling  to  have  it  so.     A 
double  movement  was  now  made  to  break  through  the  be 
sieging  lines  and  carry  the  conflict  into  the  North. 

On  the  same  day,  Lee  moved  into  Maryland  and 
Bragg3  into  Kentucky,  hoping  to  secure  those  border  states, 
— whose  people  were  almost  equally  divided  in  sympathy 
between  the  Union  and  the  Confederacy, — and  then  march 
on  to  dictate  terms  of  peace  in  Philadelphia  or  New  York, 
We  will  follow  the  western  movement  first. 

510.  The   Campaign  in   Kentucky. — Bragg  inarched 
from   Chattanooga   to   Frankfort,    pursued   by   Buell,    whose 


286  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


force  was  increased  by  all  the  men  that  Grant  could  spare. 
General  Kirby  Smith  defeated  a  Union  army  at  Richmond, 
Kentucky,  and  threatened  Cincinnati.  The  first  object  of 
both  Confederate  generals  was  Louisville;  but  this  was  saved 
by  the  arrival  of  Buell  a  few  hours  in  advance,  and  the  in 
vasion  of  the  North  was  abandoned.  Bragg  and  Smith  set 
up  a  provisional  government  at  Frankfort,  and  urged  all  the 
people  of  Kentucky  to  join  the  cause  of  the  Confederacy. 

511.  But   while   the    Confederate   generals   were   offering 
peace  and  brotherhood,   their  foragers  were  stripping  farms 
of  live-stock,  and  mercantile  houses  of  clothing  and  provis 
ions,   paying   only   in    worthless    Confederate    scrip    (§579). 
Assuming  that  Kentucky  was  now  in  the  Confederacy,  they 
even  drafted  men  into  their  ranks  according  to  the  law  in 
force  in  the  South.     Their  losses  by  desertion  were  greater, 
however,  than  their  gains  by  conscription,  and  though  many 
refugees  accompanied  their  retreating  army,  taking  with  them 
their  slaves,  whom  they  were  afraid  of  losing  by  the  success 
of  the  North,  the  mass  of  the  plundered  Kentuckians  felt  less 
disposed  than  ever  to  break  their  connection  with  the  Union. 

512.  National  Victories. — Though  defeated  at  Perry- 
ville,  Kentucky,   Bragg  effected  the  retreat  of  his   "wagon- 
train  forty  miles  long  "  to  Chattanooga.     While  Grant's  army 
in  Mississippi  was  weakened  (§510)  by  Buell's  detachments, 
Sept.  i9.       the  Confederates  attacked  luka  and  Corinth.     They 
Oct.  3.         were  defeated  at  both  places, — at  the  latter  with 
immense  loss. 

513.  Murfreesborough. — Neither  government  was  satis 
fied  with  the  campaign  in  Kentucky.     Buell  was  superseded 
by  Rosecrans,   and   Bragg  was  ordered  northward  again  to 
finish  his  work.     On  the  last  day  of    1862  the  two  armies 
met  before  Murfreesborough,  in  Tennessee.     At  first  the  Con 
federates  prevailed,  but  the  firmness  of  Generals  Sheridan  and 
Hazen  saved  the  Union  cause.     The  carnage  was  frightful; 
and  during  New  Year's  day,  1863,  "the  two  armies,  breath- 


NEW  ORLEANS  CAPTURED.  287 

less  with  their  death  struggle,  stood  looking  at  each  other." 
The  fight  was  renewed  January  2d, — the  next  day.  Bragg 
retreated,  and  another  costly  victory  had  been  won  for  the 
nation. 

514.  On  the  lower  Mississippi,  meanwhile,  yet  more 
important   events   had    occurred.       Early   in    April   Captain 
Farragut,4  with  a  fleet  of  armed  steamers  and  mortar-boats, 
in  concert  with  a  land   force  under  General  Butler,   under 
took  the  capture  of  New  Orleans.     This  largest  and  richest 
city  of  the  Confederacy  was  defended   by   two  great   forts 
seventy  miles   down   the   river ;    below   these  a  strong   iron 
chain    stretched    from   bank    to    bank;    and    the    river    was 
guarded  by  gun-boats,  fire-rafts,  and  a  floating  battery. 

515.  Surrender  of  New  Orleans. — A  heavy  cannon 
ade  from  the  fleet  produced  no  effect  upon  the  forts,   and 
Farragut  determined  to  pass  them.      Protecting  his  gun-boats 
with   iron  chains  and   bags  of   sand   suspended   over    their 
sides,    he    steamed    boldly    up    the    river,    encountered    and 
destroyed  twelve  out  of  thirteen  of  the  Confederate  armed 
steamers,  and  advanced  to  the  city.     Confiding  in  the  river 
defenses,  the  commandant  at  New  Orleans  had  sent  a  large 
detachment  of  his  troops  to  reinforce  Beauregard  and  Bragg. 
As  soon  as  the  Union  fleet  came  in  sight,  fire  was  set  to  the 
immense    stores   of  cotton,    ships,    gun-boats,   steamers,   and 
docks.     General  Butler  took  military  possession  of  the  city. 
The  forts  and  fleet  below  were  soon  afterward  surrendered. 
Farragut,   ascending   the  river,   captured   Baton   Rouge  and 
Natchez,   and,    passing  the  guns   of  Vicksburg,   joined   the 
Union  fleet  above. 

NOTES. 

1.  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  (6. 1803,  d.  1862)  was  born  in  Mason  County, 
Kentucky.  He  graduated  at  West  Point  in  1826,  and  had  seen  active  serv 
ice  in  frontier  duty  and  in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  He  then  resigned  and 
went  to  Texas,  where  he  attained  chief  command  of  the  Texan  forces. 
He  also  served  as  a  volunteer  in  the  war  between  the  United  States  and 
Mexico,  and  in  1849  re-entered  the  regular  army  with  the  rank  of  major. 


288  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  he  had  attained  the  rank  of  brevet 
brigadier-general,  bestowed  for  meritorious  service  in  Utah.  He  would 
doubtless  have  borne  a  more  conspicuous  part  in  the  war  but  for  his  early 
fall  at  Shiloh. 

2  Andrew  Hull  Foote  (6. 1806,  d.  1863)  was  born  in  New  Haven,  Con 
necticut,  and  entered  the  Navy,  1822.  In  1861  he  was  made  flag  officer  of 
the  Western  naval  fleet,  and  personally  conducted  the  building  of  the 
gun -boats  to  be  used. 

Through  neglecting  his  wound  received  at  Fort  Donelson  he  nearly  lost 
his  life,  and  was  compelled  for  a  time  to  retire  from.active  service.  He 
was  made  a  rear-admiral,  and  in  May,  1863,  was  ordered  to  take  command 
of  the  South  Atlantic  Squadron,  but  while  on  his  way  to  do  so  he  was 
taken  suddenly  ill  in  New  York,  and  died. 

Admiral  Foote  was  a  man  of  great  moral  as  well  as  physical  courage, 
and  did  much  to  improve  the  morals  of  those  under  his  command.  He 
commanded  the  respect  and  admiration  of  the  entire  Navy  and  his  loss 
was  keenly  felt. 

3.  General  Braxton  Bragg  (&.  1817,  d.  1876)  was  born  in  Warren  County, 
North  Carolina,  and  was  educated  at  West  Point.    In  the  Mexican  War 
he  was  breveted  on  three  separate  occasions  for  gallant  conduct.    He  re 
signed  from  the  army  in  1856,  and  settled  on  a  plantation  at  Thibodeaux, 
La     At  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War  he  was  made  a  brigadier-general  in 
the  Confederate  army,  and  on  the  death  of  A.  S.  Johnston  at  Shiloh  suc 
ceeded  him  in  command,  with  the  full  rank  of  general.    After  the  battle 
of  Perryville  he  was  relieved  of  his  command  and  placed  under  arrest  by 
the  Confederate  authorities.    He  was  almost  immediately  released,  how 
ever,  and  restored  to  his  former  rank.    He  was  again  relieved  after  defeat 
at  Mission  Ridge,  and  was  called  to  Richmond  as  military  adviser  to  the 
Confederate  president,  with  whom  he  was  a  great  favorite.    At  the  close 
of  the  Civil  War  he  was  engaged  as  chief  engineer  in  the  improvements 
in  Mobile  Bay. 

4.  David  Glascoe  Farragut  (6.  1801,  d.  1870)  was  the  most  illustrious 
naval  officer  of  the  Union  in  the  Civil  War.    His  naval  career  began  at 
the  early  age  of  eleven,  when  he  served  on  board  the  "  Es^ex  "  in  the  War 
of  1812  (1 379).    He  then  received  the  highest  praise  from  Commodore  Por 
ter  in  his  official  report  of  a  battle  with  the  British  "  Argus,''  and  would 
have  been  promoted  in  rank  had  he  been  old  enough  to  allow  of  it. 
Aside  from  an  attack  and  capture  of  a  pirate  stronghold  in  Cuba,  in  1823, 
Farrao-ut  saw  no  active  service  until  the  war  broke  out  in  1861,  when  he 
had  advanced  to  the  rank  of  captain.    He  received  the  thanks  of  Con 
gress  for  his  gallant  capture  of  New  Orleans,  and  was  placed  first  on  the 
list  of  rear-admirals.    After  the  capture  of  Mobile  (§  560)  Farragut  again 
received  the  thanks  of  Congress,  and  a  new  grade  of  rank,  that  of  vice- 
admiral  was  created  for  him  :  this  was  followed  in  July,  1866,  by  the  crea 
tion  of  the  still  higher  rank  of  Admiral,  which  was  conferred  on  him  as  a 
mark  of  most  distinguished  honor.    The  following  year  Farragut  joined 
the  European  squadron,  to  the  command  of  which  he  had  been  appointed, 
and  every-where  received  marks  of  the  highest  respect  from  the  foreign 
powers.    After  his  return  from  this  command  his  health  began  to  fail, 
and,  while  on  a  journey  for  its  improvement,  he  died  at  the  Portsmouth 
havy-yard. 


«*-*  rKa^irf 
j  &f  i/m.on^ 

:^1^    I,vll1.        Si        **       £*     \  T/"a' 


ILLUSTRATING 

THE  CIVIL  WAR. 

28—        By  Russell  Hi  n  man  C.E. 

0  50  100  1.-.0  200  2.-.0  Miles 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

NINETEENTH  ADMINISTRATION EVENTS    OF    1862    (Continued]. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  President.  Hannibal  Hamlin,  Vice-president. 

516.  On  the  8th  of  March,   1862,  a  strange-looking  craft 
appeared  in  Hampton  Roads.     It  was  the  old  United  States 
steamer  Mcrrimac,  now  in  Confederate  service,  cut  down  to 
the  water's  edge  and  fitted  with  a  sharp  steel  prow  and  a 
sloping  iron-plated  roof.     Steering  directly  for  the  sloop-of- 
war  Cumberland,  it  so  disabled  her  by  one  blow  of  her  steel 
beak  that  she  sank,   with  her  flag   flying   and   with   all   her 
men  on  board.1 

517.  The  United  States  frigate  Congress  was  next  attacked. 
She  was  run  ashore,  but  the  Merrimac  poured  into  her  such 
a  storm  of  shot  and  shell  that  she  was  forced  to  surrender. 
The  new  sea-monster  then  retired  to  Norfolk,  intending  to 
complete  its  work  of  destruction  the  next  day.     Early  in  the 
morning  it  steamed  out  again,    and  approached   the   steam 
frigate  Minnesota;  but  before  it  had  fired  a  gun  a  new  cham 
pion  appeared  upon  the  scene. 

518.  It  was  the  iron-clad  Monitor  of   Captain  Ericsson,2 
which  had  arrived  from  New  York  during  the  night,  just  in 
time  for  its  first  trial  of  strength.      Its  deck  near  the  surface 
of  the  water  was  protected  by  a  heavy  iron  sheathing;    it 
was  surmounted  by  an  iron  tower,  which,  slowly  revolving, 
turned  its  two  enormous  guns  in  every  direction.     The  duel 
between  these  odd  antagonists  was  not  unlike  David  fighting 
Goliath,  for  the  Monitor  was  less  than  one  fifth  the  burden 
of  the  Merrimac.     But  the  shot  and  shells  of  the  latter  rolled 
harmlessly  off  the  iron  sheathing  of  her  little  opponent,  while 
her  huge  beak  passed  above  the  deck  and  could  not  reach 
the   tower.     The   Monitor  glided   nimbly   away   from   every 

U.  S.  H.-19.  (289) 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


charge,  and  found  out  every 
weak  spot  in  the  Merrimats 
armor,  where  a  heavy  ball 
from  her  guns  could  make  a 
leak. 

519.    At    length,    unable 
either  to  silence  her  assailant 


Monitor  and  Merrimac. 

or  to  engage  any  other  vessel  while  she  was  present,  the  Mer 
rimac  withdrew  to  Norfolk  for  repairs.  She  was  blown  up 
by  the  Confederates  two  months  later,  on  the  surrender  of 
Norfolk  to  the  United  States.  The  national  government  im 
mediately  contracted  with  Captain  Ericsson  for  a  fleet  of 
"  Monitors,"  which  effectually  defended  the  coast,  and  made 
the  United  States  for  a  time  the  greatest  naval  power  in  the 
world. 

520.    The    movement    toward    Richmond    by    the 

Union  forces  was  attended  with  tremendous  difficulties  and 
losses,  and  no  favorable  result.  A  second  march  to  Manas- 


BATTLES  IN  VIRGINIA. 


291 


sas  was  rewarded  by  the  capture  of  Quaker  guns3  and  an 
empty  camp.  The  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  then  removed 
to  Fortress  Monroe,  and  spent  a  month  and  more  in  digging 
intrenchments— and  graves— in  the  deep  mud  of  the  penin 
sula  which  had  witnessed  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  (§304). 
When,  at  length,  the  Federals  were  ready  to  assault  York- 
town,  the  Confederates  again  gave  them  the  slip,  and  re 
treated  towards  Richmond. 

521.  A  battle  at  Williamsburg  resulted  in  loss  to  both 
and  gain  to  neither  party,  except  that  the  Confederate  gen 
eral  succeeded  in  covering  the  retreat  of  his  baggage-train. 
The  Federals  kept  the  hard-won  field,  and  buried  their  dead. 
McClellan  then  slowly  advanced,   and  after  two  weeks  saw 
the  spires  and  roofs  of  Richmond.     The  Confederate  Con 
gress  hastily  adjourned,   and  a  mass  of  retreating  fugitives 
clogged  all  the  roads  to  the  southward. 

522.  Jackson's  Valley   Campaign. — But   while   Mc- 
Clellen  awaited  reinforcements,  J.  E.  Johnston,  the  Confed 
erate  commander-in-chief,  warded  off  his  intended  blow  by 
sending  "Stonewell"  Jackson  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley  to 
threaten  Washington.     This  brilliant  dash  was  successful  in 
preventing  McDowell's  march  to  the  aid  of  McClellan,  and 
the  attack  upon  Richmond. 

523.  A  two  days'  battle  at  Fair  Oaks  would  probably 
have  ended  in  victory  to  the  Confederates  but  for  the  dis 
abling  of  their  chief  by  a  serious  wound.     General  Robert 
E.    Lee,4  who   succeeded   him,   had   time   to  raise  immense 
numbers  of   recruits  and  strengthen   the   defenses  of   Rich 
mond;  and  by  severing  McClellan  from  his  supplies,  forced 
him  to  move  his  army  to  the  James.     This   difficult  move 
ment  was  only  accomplished   with   seven  days'  tremendous 
fighting,  usually  successful,  but  fearfully  costly  of  life.     The 
Federal   army,    still   outnumbering   its   enemy,    then   posted 
itself  at  Harrison's   Landing  below  Richmond. 


292 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 


Aug.  29,  30. 


524.  Washington  was  now  seriously  threatened.  Gen 
eral  Pope,  commanding  the  Union  forces  in  northern  Vir 
ginia,  was  defeated  at  Cedar  Mountain,  and  three  weeks  later 
had  to  encounter  the  whole  army  of  Lee  on  the 
old  battle-field  of  Bull  Run.  Two  days'  fighting 
ended  in  a  severe  defeat  of  the  Federals ;  and,  after  another 

sharp  conflict  at  Chantitty, 
Pope  retreated  to  Washing 
ton  and  resigned  his  com 
mand. 


Robert  E.  Lee. 


525.  Lee  crossed  the 
Potomac  and  invaded  Mary 
land,  pursued  by  McClellan, 
who  had  restored  the  Union 
army  -to  perfect  condition 
after  its  ruinous  campaign. 
Stonewall  Jackson  seized  Har 
per's  Ferry  with  its  arsenal  of 
cannon  and  small  arms,  and 
twelve  thousand  Union  pris 
oners;  but  on  the  same  day 
Lee  was  defeated  at  South 
Mountain,  and  his  northward  march  was  arrested. 

526.  Battle  of  Antietam. — At  Sharpsburg,  in  the  beau 
tiful  valley  of  Antietam,   one  of  the  most  terrific  battles  of 
the  war  was  fought,  on  the   iyth  of  September.     For  four 
teen  hours  the  mountains  echoed  to  the  roar  of  five  hundred 
cannon  and  mortars,  and  when  night  came  25,000  men  lay 
dead   or  wounded  upon   the   field;    but   neither   side    could 
claim  a  victory.     Lee  retreated  into  Virginia,  followed  at  a 
distance  by  McClellan,  who  was  soon  afterward  relieved  of 
command  by  General  Burnside,  of  Rhode  Island. 

527.  Battle   of  Fredericksburg. — Burnside  advanced 
in  December  to  attack  the  strong  Confederate  works  in  the 


NOTES. 


293 


rear  of  Fredericksburg  on  the  Rappahannock.  The  assault 
was  made  with  splendid  courage  and  steadiness,  and  was  five 
times  renewed  under  a  storm  of  cannon-balls,  but  it  was  re 
pulsed  with  a  loss  of  twelve  thousand  Union  men. 

528.  General  Results. — The  year  had  been,  on  the 
whole,  disastrous  to  the  national  interests  in  the  East,  though 
the  control  of  the  Atlantic  coast  had  been  extended  by  the 
recovery  of  Norfolk  in  Virginia,  of  Roanoke  Island  and 
several  points  in  North  Carolina,  of  Fort  Pulaski  near  Sa 
vannah,  and  of  the  eastern  ports  of  Florida. 

On  the  other  hand  the  year  had  been  marked  by  great 
successes  in  the  West,  and  only  two  posts  on  the  Mississippi, — 
Vicksburg   and   Port   Hudson, — were  held  by   the   Confed 
eracy.     The  operations  against  Vicksburg  were 
checked  for  a  time  by  the  destruction  of  Grant's 
magazines  of    supplies   at  Holly  Springs,  in   Mississippi,  by 
General  Van  Dorn  and  his  cavalry.     Fifteen  hundred  pris 
oners  were  taken,  and  the  property  destroyed  was  variously 
valued  at  from  one  to  four  millions  of  dollars. 

NOTES. 

1.  "  Through  the  hole  she  had  made,  large  enough  for  a  man  to  enter, 
the  water  poured  in.    In  vain  Lieutenant  Morris,  who  commanded  the 
"Cumberland,"  worked  the  pumps  to  keep  her  afloat  a  few  moments 
more,  hoping  that  a  lucky  shot  might  find  some  weaker  place.    He  only 
abandoned  his  guns,  as,  one  after  another,  the  settling  of  the  sinking  ship 
swamped  them  in  the  water.    The  last  shot  was  fired  by  Matthew  Tenney 
from  a  gun  on  a  level  with  the  water.    That  brave  man  then  attempted 
to  escape  through  the  port-hole,  but  was  borne  back  by  the  incoming 
rush,  and  went  down  with  the  ship.    With  him  went  down  nearly  one 
hundred  dead, .sick,  and  wounded,  and  those  who,  like  him,  could  not  ex 
tricate  themselves.    The  "  Cumberland  "  sank  in  fifty-four  feet  of  water. 
The  commander  of  her  assailant  saw  the  flag  of  the  unconquered  but 
sunken  ship  still  flying  above  the  surface."— Draper. 

2.  John  Ericsson  was  born,  in  1803,  in  the  province  of  Vermeland, 
Sweden ;  and  at  an  early  age  displayed  great  mechanical  ability.    After 
serving  some  years  as  an  engineer  in  the  Swedish  army,  he  went  to  En 
gland,  where  he  introduced  several  important  inventions  which  attracted 
great  attention  and  gained  the  inventor  several  medals  and  prizes.    His 
invention  of  the  propeller  not  being  well  received,  however,  he  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1839,  and  two  years  later  built  a  war  steamer,  the 
"Princeton."  for  the  Government,  which  was  the  first  steamship  ever 
built  with  the  propeller  machinery.    This  vessel  was  also  furnished  with 
numerous  other  ingenious  inventions  of  Ericsson's  which  have  since 
come  into  common  use.    The  revolving  turret,  however,  is  the  most  im 
portant  of  Ericsson's  inventions,  and  has  caused  a  complete  change  iu  the 
naval  architecture  of  the  world. 


294  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


3.  "  Quaker  guns  "  are  wooden  imitations  of  cannon,  frequently  used 
to  deceive  an  enemy  as  to  the  strength  of  a  position. 

4.  Robert  Edmund  Lee  (6. 1807,  d.  1870)  was  one  of  the  ablest  generals, 
and  one  of  the  most  noted  characters  brought  into  prominence  by  the 
Civil  War.    He  was  born  at  Stratford  House,  Westmoreland  County,  Va.. 
and  graduated,  second  in  his  class,  at  West  Point  in  1829.    He  displayed 
his  great  ability,  and  was  employed  in  the  most  responsible  positions 
even  during  the  times  of  peace,  and  when  war  was  declared  with  Mexico 


of  the  war  he  was  recognized  by  the  army  as  the  fitting  successor  of  Gen 
eral  Scott  whenever  the  latter  should  retire  from  the  head  of  the  army. 

A  letter  written  to  his  sister  after  the  secession  of  Virginia  plainly  indi 
cates  his  feeling  in  regard  to  the  Civil  War,  and  sets  forth  his  reason  for  giv 
ing  his  services  to  the  Confederate  cause.  In  it  he  says :  "  Now  we  are  in  a 
state  of  war  which  will  yield  to  nothing.  The  whole  South  is  in  a  state 
of  revolution,  into  which  Virginia,  after  a  long  struggle,  has  been  drawn ; 
and  though  I  recognize  no  necessity  for  this  state  of  things,  and  would 
have  forborne  and  pleaded  to  the  end  for  redress  of  grievances,  real  or 
supposed,  yet  in  my  own  person  I  had  to  meet  the  question  whether  I 
would  take  part  against  my  native  state.  With  all  my  devotion  to  the 
Union,  and  the  feeling  of  loyalty  and  duty  of  an  American  citizen,  I  have 
not  been  able  to  make  up  my  mind  to  raise  my  hand  against  my  rela 
tives,  my  children,  and  my  home.  I  have  therefore  resigned  my  com 
mission  in  the  army,  and,  save  in  the  defense  of  my  native  state,  with  the 
hope  that  my  poor  services  will  never  be  needed,  I  hope  I  may  never  be 
called  on  to  draw  my  sword." 

During  the  first  year  of  the  war,  although  one  of  five  generals  appointed 
by  the  Confederate  Congress,  Lee  was  kept  in  the  background,  but  on  his 
appointment  as  commander-in-chief,  in  1862,  new  life  was  infused  into  the 
armies  under  him,  and  that  energy  which  never  flagged  to  the  bitter  end 
began  to  make  itself  felt.  Although  outnumbered, — sometimes  by  more 
than  two  to  one,— he  kept  up  the  unequal  fight  for  three  years,  and  in 
the  battles  during  that  period  usually  inflicted  far  heavier  losses  than 
he  received.  Probably  not  even  Napoleon  was  so  devotedly  loved  by  his 
soldiers  as  was  Lee,  and  under  his  command  they  were  almost  invincible. 
He  has  been  charged  with  grave  mistakes  in  several  instances,  such  as 
the  invasion  of  Pennsylvania,  which  led  to  the  defeat  at  Gettysburg,  and 
the  defense  of  Petersburg:  but  in  these  two,  at  least,  the  only  error  that 
can  be  attributed  to  him  is  in  giving  way, against  his  own  judgment  and 
advice,  to  a  higher  political  authority. 

The  war  left  him  homeless  and  penniless,  and  he  gladly  accepted  the 
presidency  of  what  is  now  called  the  "  Washington  and  Lee  University," 
at  Lexington,  Va.  Here,  after  a  quiet,  useful  life  of  five  years,  he  died. 
It  is  worthy  of  record  that  during  these  last  years  he  used  all  his  influ 
ence,  in  a  quiet  way,  to  remove  the  bitter  sectional  feelings  induced  by 
the  war. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

NINETEENTH    ADMINISTRATION EVENTS    OF     1863. 


Abraham  Lincoln,  President. 


Hannibal  Hamlin,  Vice-president. 


A  Truce  in  the  Trenches. 

529.  The  year  1863  opened  with  the  greatest  event  of 
the  war.  Until  July  of  1862  the  President  had  acted  in 
all  sincerity  upon  his  avowed  intention  to  leave  slavery  un 
molested  in  the  states  where  it  existed,  though  his  party  was 
pledged  to  prevent  its  extension  into  new  states  and  terri 
tories.  General  Butler  had  indeed  confiscated  the  negroes 
whom  he  found  employed  upon  the  Confederate  earthworks 
near  Fortress  Monroe,  considering  them  as  ' '  contraband  of 

(295) 


296  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

war,"  and  they  had  been  fed  and  protected  as  Union  ref 
ugees.  But  when  Fremont,  in  Missouri,  and  other  generals, 
had  undertaken  to  liberate  the  slaves  of  those  who  were 
fighting  against  the  Government,  the  President  had  disap 
proved  and  reversed  their  action. 

530.  The   South,   on   the   other  hand,   had  declared  one 
chief  object  of  secession  to  be  the  founding  of  a  republic, 
of  which   African   slavery   should  be   the   corner-stone.     If 
the  war  was  ever  to  end,  this  corner-stone  must  be  removed. 
On  the  22d  of  September,  1862,  five  days  after  the  battle  of 
Antietam,  President  Lincoln  issued  a  proclamation  declaring 
that  after  one   hundred   days    ' '  all   persons   held  as  slaves 
within  any  state  or  designated  part  of   a  state,   the  people 
whereof  shall  be  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States,  shall 
be  then,  thenceforward,  and  forever  free." 

531.  The  Emancipation  became  effective  on  the  first 
day  of  January,   1863.     Freedmen  were  invited  to  enter  the 
service  of  the  United  States,  and  regiments  of  colored  troops 
were  organized  in  South  Carolina  and  Kansas.     Free  negroes 
had  already  been  armed  and  drilled  for  Confederate  service, 
and  General  Butler,  commanding  at  New  Orleans,  had  re 
ceived  several  such  regiments  into  the  armies  of  the  United 
States.     Within  the  year  more  than   fifty   thousand  colored 
men  had  enlisted  as  soldiers  and  sailors,  and  they  contrib 
uted  much  to  the  final  victories  of  the  Union  on  the  Mis 
sissippi. 

532.  Chancellorsville. — In    January,     1863,    General 
Hooker1   succeeded  to  the  command  of  the  Army  of   the 
Potomac.     He  found  it  greatly  demoralized:  80,000  men  and 
3,000  officers  were  absent  from   their   posts.      His  rigorous 
discipline  soon  made   it   the   "finest  army   on   the   planet." 

It  was  defeated,  however,  in  a  two  days'  battle  at 

Chancellorsville,  with  a  loss. of  17,000  men.     To 

the   South  the  joy  of   victory  was  clouded  by   the  loss  of 

"Stonewall"  Jackson,'2  whose  impetuous  charge  with  25,000 


INVASION  OF  PENNSYLVANIA.  297 

men  upon  the  Union  right  had  decided  the  fortunes  of  the 
day.  He  was  returning  in  the  evening  to  his  camp,  when 
he  was  fired  upon  through  a  blunder  of  some  of  his  own 
men,  and  was  mortally  wounded. 

533.  New  York  Riots. — The  Southern  leaders  were  now 
ready  for  a  vigorous  in 
vasion  of  the  North,  and 

their  cause  seemed  about 
to  triumph.  The  Union 
armies  were  weakened  by 
the  expiration  of  terms 
of  enlistment,  and  a  riot 
broke  out  in  New  York 
in  resistance  to  a  draft. 
For  three  days  the  dis 
orders  continued;  a  col 
ored  orphan  asylum  and 
an  armory  were  plun 
dered  and  burned;  ne 
groes  were  assaulted  and 
even  killed  by  the  mob.  stonewall  Jackson. 

The  peace  party  had  gained  strength  by  the  long  continu 
ance  of  the  war,  with  its  ruinous  cost  in  blood  and  treasure; 
and  the  force  of  the  Government  was  correspondingly  dimin 
ished. 

534.  Invasion  of  the  North. — Perhaps  nothing  could 
so  effectually  have  reunited  and  nerved  the  Northern  people 
as  the  actual  invasion  of  their  soil.     Lee  advanced  to  Cham- 
bersburg,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  on  the   ist  of  July  met  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  at  Gettysburg.     General  Meade3  was 
in  command,  having  superseded  Hooker  only  two  days  be 
fore.     The    Union    army    was    stronger    in    number4    than 
the   Confederate   army,   and,   acting   on  the    defensive,   had 
greatly  the  advantage  in  a  strong  natural  position  along  the 
crest  of  Cemetery  Ridge. 


298  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

535.  Battle   of    Gettysburg.— Three   days   the   battle 
raged  which  was  deciding  the  fate  of  a  continent.     On  either 
side  men  admired   the   magnificent  valor  and  steadiness  of 
their  opponents.     Finally,  on  the  afternoon  of  July  3d,  the 
flower  of  the  Confederate  army,   18,000  strong,  made  a  des 
perate  charge  upon  the  center  of  the  Union  line,  and  in  the 
face  of  a  terrible  fire  forced  their  way  into  the  very  intrench- 
ments.     Here  fierce  hand-to-hand  fighting  lasted  a  few  min 
utes,  and  then  the  assailants  gave  way.     The  Southern  loss 
is  said  to  have  been  about  25,000  men;  that  of  the  North 
was  but  little  less.     The   battle-field  was   afterwards   conse 
crated  as  a  national  cemetery. 

536.  The    retreat    of    Lee    and   the    surrender   of 
Vicksburg  occurred  at   the  same  hour,   and  the  result  of 
the  war  was  no  longer  doubtful.      The  great  stronghold  of 
the  Mississippi  had  been  invested  by  the  Federal  armies  on 
the  1 9th  of  May.     Their  terrific  bombardment  on  the  three 
following  days  failed  to  take  the  place,  and  a  regular  siege 
began.     Citizens  refused  to  leave  the  town,  but  dug  caves  in 
the  damp  earth  of  the  hill-sides  to  avoid  the  storm  of  mortar- 
shells  exploding  in  their  streets. 

537.  The   Confederate   soldiers,   who  had  been  sadly  de 
moralized  by  five  severe  defeats  within  twenty  days,  recov 
ered    themselves    within    the    strong    works    of    Vicksburg. 
Often  their  pickets  wrere  posted  within  ten  yards  of  those  of 
the  Federals;   and,   laying  aside  their  arms  by  mutual  con 
sent,    the   men   would   spend   the   night-watches   in   friendly 
chat,  regardless  of   the  fact  that  they  might  be  ordered  to 
become   each   other's   murderers  before  another  sun  should 
set.      But  these  informal  truces  never  made  either  party  less 
brave  or  less  obedient  when  the  stern  command  was  given. 

538.  End  of  the  Siege. — The  outworks  of  Vicksburg, 
— Haines's  Bluff  and  Chickasaw  Landing, — were  soon  gained 
by  the  Federals,   and  the  latter  became  their  base  of   sup- 


OPENING   OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI.  299 

plies.  Both  parties  suffered  from  want  of  water  and  from 
the  poisonous  vapors  of  the  swamps  during  the  burning  days 
and  chilly  nights  of  June.  The  Confederates,  besides,  were 
pinched  with  hunger,  and  exhausted  by  forty-seven  days  and 
nights  of  unrelieved  duty  in  the  trenches,  when  on  the  3d 
of  July  General  Pemberton  proposed  a  surrender.  It  took 
place  on  the  4th, — 15  generals,  31,000  men,  and  172  can 
non, — the  greatest  surrender  of  men  and  material  that  had 
then  ever  been  made  in  war,  and  only  surpassed  since  in  the 
capture  of  Metz  and  Paris  by  the  Germans. 

539.  Port  Hudson,  which  had  been  enduring  a  similar 
siege  by  General  Banks,  surrendered  four  days  later 

than  Vicksburg,     The  war  was  ended  on  the  Mis 
sissippi  ;  the  divided  members  of  the  Confederacy  were  never 
reunited;    and   the   great  river   flowed,    unvexed   by   hostile 
craft,  from  Minnesota  to  the  Gulf. 

540.  Morgan's  Raid. — During  this  eventful  month  of 
July  the  Confederate  General  Morgan  made  a  dash  into  In 
diana  and  Ohio  with  4,000  cavalry.      He  entered  the  former 
state  at  Brandenburg,  and,  after  scouring  the  country  around 
Cincinnati,   thought  to   leave  Ohio  above  Pomeroy.      Here, 
however,  Federal  gun-boats  cut  off  his  retreat,  and,  hemmed 
in  by  the  pursuing  forces,  most  of  his  men  were  captured. 
He  himself  escaped  there  only  to  be  taken  near  New  Lis 
bon,  O.     He  was  imprisoned  at  Columbus  but  soon  escaped. 

541.  Autumn  of  1863. — The  most  important  events  of 
the  autumn  were  in  the  mountain  region   of   eastern  Ten 
nessee  and  northern   Georgia.      Throughout  the   South  the 
people  of  the  mountainous  regions  were  ready  to  aid  and 
support  the  National  cause;  and  the  Government  desired  to 
protect   them,   as  well  as  to  hold  the  great  natural  barriers 
between  the  Atlantic  slope  and  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

542.  The  cliff,  which  the  Indians  had  named  Chattanooga, 
or  Eagle's  Nest,  rises  like  a  wall  two  thousand  feet  from  the 


300  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Lookout  Mountain. 

banks  of  the  Tennessee.  Its  English  name  is  Lookout 
Mountain,  while  the  Indian  name  of  the  cliff  has  been  ap 
plied  to  the  town  near  its  base.  This  was  and  is  a  great 
railway  center,  through  which  the  whole  interior  of  the 
cotton  region  is  connected  with  the  North.  Missionary 
Ridge,  on  the  east  and  south,  was  the  boundary  of  the  Cher 
okee  Nation  before  its  removal  to  the  westward;  and  here, 
two  hundred  years  ago,  the  French  missionaries  held  their 
schools  of  native  children. 

543.  Siege  of  Chattanooga, — General  Rosecrans,  dur 
ing  the  summer  of  1863,  gained  all  Tennessee  for  the  Union 


CAMPAIGN  NEAR  CHATTANOOGA.  301 

cause;  but  in  September  he  was  severely  defeated  on  the 
Chickamauga  River,  nine  miles  from  Chattanooga,  and  was 
closely  besieged  for  two  months  in  the  town  by  General 
Bragg.  At  this  point  Rosecrans  was  relieved  of  command; 
and  the  three  military  departments  of  the  Ohio,  the  Ten 
nessee,  and  the  Cumberland  were  united  under  General 
Grant.  He  arrived  at  Chattanooga,  October  23,  and  in  five 
days  threw  open  the  road  to  Nashville,  by  which  abundant 
supplies  reached  the  starving  National  troops.  As  the  first 
provision  train  steamed  into  the  station,  soldiers,  sick  with 
hunger,  thronged  to  embrace  the  very  locomotive  as  if  it  had 
been  a  living  friend. 

544.  Their    health    and   spirits    were    suddenly    restored. 
General  Thomas,5  who  had  saved  the  battle  on  the  Chicka 
mauga  from  being  a  rout,  commanded  the  Army  of  the  Cum 
berland.     General  Hooker  arrived  from  Virginia  with  23,000 
men ;  Sherman,  with  four  divisions  of  his  victorious  army  of 
the  Tennessee,  came  to  have  part  in  the  decisive  battle  which 
was  now  to  be  fought  for  the  possession  of  the  gate-way  to 
the  South. 

545.  Battle  of  Lookout  Mountain. — On  the  23d  of 
November  Thomas  seized   and   fortified   Orchard  Knob,  ad 
vancing  the  National  line  one  mile  beyond  that  which  the 
Confederates  had  occupied  a  few  hours  before.     Here  Grant 
stationed  himself  to  watch  the  great  battle-field  thirteen  miles 
in  length.      The  next  day  Hooker  charged  up  Lookout  Moun 
tain  above  the  river  mists  which  settled  densely  in  the  valley. 
All  the  morning  the  battle  raged  "above  the  clouds;"  but 
the  victory  was  complete.     The  next  day  Hooker  descended 
the  north-eastern  slope  and  advanced  to  the  Rossville  Gap 
in   Missionary   Ridge,    while   Sherman  carried   the   northern 
end  of   the   same  range,   and   forced  Bragg  to  weaken  his 
center  to  save  his  extreme  right. 

546.  Battle  of    Missionary   Ridge. — While  the  Con 
federates  were  making  this  difficult  movement,   the  decisive 


302 


HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


blow  was  struck  by  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  which, 
dashing  over  the  plain  at  a  full  run,  with  their  bayonets  held 
in  a  dazzling,  wavering  line,  charged  up  Missionary  Ridge 

under  a  plunging  fire  from 
the  Confederate  guns.  Fifty- 
five  minutes  from  their  first 
movement  they  were  in  full 
possession  of  the  ridge ;  and 
the  cannon  at  the  summit 
had  not  cooled  when  they 
were  wheeled  about  and  fired 
against  their  late  masters. 
Sheridan  pursued  and  cap 
tured  most  of  the  artillery 
which  Bragg  had  removed. 
547.  Sherman  immediately 
pushed  northward  to  the  re 
lief  of  Burnside,  who  was 
shut  up  in  Knoxville  by  Gen 
eral  Longstreet.6  The  latter,  with  superior  numbers,  at 
tacked  him  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  the  Confederate  defeat 
at  Chattanooga.  Burnside's  men  fought  bravely,  though 
weakened  by  short  rations,  and  the  attack  was  repulsed. 


Joseph  Hooker. 


NOTES. 

1.  Joseph  Hooker  (6. 1814,  d.  1879)  was  born  at  Hadley,  Mass.,  and  grad 
uated  at  West  Point  in  1837.    His  first  active  service  was  in  the  war  against 
the  Semlnoles.    In  the  Mexican  War  he  was  distinguished  by  three  suc 
cessive  brevets,  rising  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel.    In  1853  he  re 
signed  from  the  army,  arid  engaged  in  farming  in  California.    At  the  out 
break  of  the  war  in  1861  he  tendered  his  services  to  the  United  States,  and 
was  appointed  brigadier-general  of  volunteers.    Throughout  the  war  he 
was  noted  for  his  personal  bravery,  and  came  to  be  known  as  "  Fighting 
Joe."    He  retired  in  1808  on  the  full  rank  of  major-general. 

2.  Thomas  Jonathan  Jackson  was  born  in  1824  at  Clarksburg,  Harrison 
County,  in  what  is  now  West  Virginia.    He  graduated  at  West  Point  in 
1846,  but  after  gallant  service  in  the  Mexican  War  he  resigned  from  the 
army,  having  accepted  an  appointment  to  a  chair  in  the  Virginia  State 
Military  Institute  at  Lexington.    Here  he  remained  in  comparative  ob 
scurity  until  1861,  when  he  at  once  tendered  his  services  to  the  Southern 
Confederacy.     He  was  exactly  two  years  in  its  service,  being  placed  in 
command  of  Harper's  Ferry,  May  2d,  1861,  and  falling  at  Chancellorsville, 
May  2d,  1863.    His  firm  stand  at  Bull  Run  changed  the  fortunes  of  the  day, 


NOTES. 


and  gained  for  him  and  his  brigade  the  undying  name  of  "Stonewall." 
In  his  "Valley  Campaign,"  with  a  comparatively  petty  force,  he  struck 
blow  after  blow  with  a  rapidity  and  secrecy  that  were  marvelous,  and 
managed  to  neutralize  a  Federal  force  aggregating  70,000  men.  He  thus 
ruined  McClellan's  general  plans,  and  inspired  the  gravest  fears  in  the 
North  for  the  safety  of  Washington. 

3.  George  Gordon  Meade  was  horn  at  Cadiz,  Spain,  in  1815,  where  his 
father  was  at  that  time  United  States  naval  agent.    Meade  graduated  at 
West  Point  in  1885,  and  served  with  distinction  against  the  Seminoles  and 
throughout  the  Mexican  War.    On  his  return  from  the  latter  the  citizens 
of  Philadelphia  presented  him  with  a  sword.    He  was  in  many  of  the 
hardest  fought  battles  of  the  war,  and  at  Antietam  was  slightly  wounded 
and  had  two  horses  shot  under  him.    For  his  hard-won  victory  at  Gettys 
burg  he  received  the  thanks  of  Congress,  and  after  the  war  closed  many 
honoi-s  were  bestowed  upon  him.    The  citizens  of  Philadelphia  presented 
his  wife  with  a  house,  and,  after  his  death  in  1872,  subscribed  a  fund  of 
$100,000  for  his  family. 

4.  Authorities  differ  much  as  to  the  number  of  men  engaged  on  either 
de  in  this  battle  as  well  as  in  many  others.    The  movements  prepara 

tory  to  a  battle  are  too  urgent  to  admit  of  careful  reports.    The  Union 


side  in  this  battle  as  well  as  in  many  others.  The  movements  prepara 
tory  to  a  battle  are  too  urgent  to  admit  of  careful  reports.  The  Union 
forces  actually  engaged  have  been  estimated  at  105,000,95,000  and  82,000; 


Lee's  forces,  at  110.000,  73,500  and  08,000.  It  is  impossible  to  secure  absolute 
accuracy  when  the  estimates  of  the  generals  having  the  fullest  knowledge 
vary  so  widely. 

5.  George  Henry  Thomas  (6.  1816,  d.  1870)  was  born  in  Southampton 
County,  Va.,  and  graduated  at  West  Point  in  1840.    The  next  year  he  was 
breveted  for  gallantry  in  the  war  with  the  Seminoles,  and  during  the 
Mexican  War  he  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  brevet  major.    During  the 
five  years  immediately  preceding  the  Civil  War,  Thomas,  as  major  of  the 
Second  Cavalry,  was  stationed  in  Texas.    Of  this  regiment  A.  S.  Johnston 
was  colonel,  Robert  E.  Lee  lieutenant-colonel,  W.  J.  Hardee  senior  major, 
with  Kirby  Smith,  Fitz  Hugh  Lee,  Hood,  and  others,  as  subordinate  offi 
cers,  who  afterwards  became  prominent  on  the  Southern  side  during  the 
war.    Considering  this  fact,  his  surroundings,  and  the  place  of  his  birth, 
Thomas's  adherence  to  the  Union  is  remarkable.    Few  generals  on  either 
side  did  better  service  or  so  commanded  the  love  and  esteem  of  their  sub 
ordinates.    His  stand  at  Chickainauga  after  the  rout  of  the  right  and  cen 
ter,  was  one  of  the  most  heroic  events  of  the  war.    When  peace  was  de 
clared  Thomas  had  attained  the  rank  of  major-general  of  the  regular 
army,  and  it  is  characteristic  of  the  man  that  he  refused  the  rank  of  lieu 
tenant-general,  tendered  him  in  1868,  on  the  ground  that  he  had  done  noth 
ing  since  the  war  to  deserve  such  promotion.    Upon  his  death,  Congress 
passed  resolutions  of  sympathy,  and  military  honors  accompanied  his 
burial  at  Troy,  N.  Y. 

6.  General  James  Longstreet  was  born  in  South  Carolina  in  1820.  but 
removed  with  his  family  during  his  childhood  to  Alabama,  from  which 
state  he  received  his  appointment  to  West  Point.    Here  he  graduated  in 
1842,  and  in  the  Mexican  War,  which  soon  followed,  he  was  advanced  for 
gallant  conduct  to  the  rank  of  brevet  major. 

He  resigned  his  commission  in  1861  to  join  the  Confederate  army,  in 
which  he  bore  a  conspicuous  part  from  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  ^yhere  he 
commanded  a  brigade,  to  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  had  attained  the 
rank  of  lieutenant-general.  He  possessed  something  of  Stonewall  Jack 
son's  ability  to  draw  out  to  the  fullest  extent  the  fighting  qualities  of  the 
men  in  his  command.  It  was  he  that  covered  the  retreat  of  Lee  to  Rich 
mond  after  the  battle  of  Williamsburg  (§521).  At  Fair  Oaks  (£523)  his 
troops  bore  the  brunt  of  the  battle,  and  during  the  seven  days  fighting 
that  followed,  were  reduced  in  numbers  nearly  one  half.  Again,  at  Fred- 
ericksburg,  in  Virginia,  and  at  Chickamauga,  in  Tennessee,  it  was  Long- 
street's  command  that  carried  the  day  for  the  Confederates.  After  being 
driven  from  Knoxville  by  Sherman  he  joined  Lee  in  Virginia,  and  was 
severely  wounded  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  by  his  own  troops. 

Since  the  war  General  Longstreet,  accepting  the  situation,  has  done  his 
utmost  to  restore  harmony  of  feeling  between  the  divided  sections  of  his 
countrv.  In  1880  he  was  appointed  U.  S.  minister  to  Constantinople. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

NINETEENTH    ADMINISTRATION EVENTS    OF    1864. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  President.  Hannibal  Hamlin,  Vice-president. 

548.  The   main  military  movement  of   the  early  months 
was  the  "  Meridian  raid"  of  part  of  Sherman's  army.     They 
destroyed  all  the  railroads  centering  at  Meridian,  Mississippi, 
with  their  bridges  and  trestle-works,  and  made  it  impossible 
for  the  Confederates  either  to  draw  supplies  from  the  state  or 
to  move  large  bodies  of  troops  within  it. 

549.  Lieutenant-general    Grant. — Congress   revived 
the  grade  of  lieutenant-general,  hitherto  borne  only  by  Wash 
ington  and  Scott,  and  in  March  General  Grant  was  placed 
at  the  head  of  all  the  armies  of  the  United  States.     Hence 
forth  there  was  no  scattering  of  forces.      Grant  in  the  East, 
and  Sherman  in  the  West,  acted  upon  one  plan,  which  they 
had  formed  together  in  an  interview  at  Cincinnati. 

550.  Battles  in  the  Wilderness. — The  fortunes  of  the 
Confederacy  now  depended  upon  two  armies :  that  of  Gen 
eral  Lee,  in  Virginia,  and  that  of  General  J.  E.  Johnston,  in 
Georgia.     Grant  crossed   the   Rapidan  and  commenced   his 
march  to  Richmond.     All  the  obstacles  that  the  highest  mil 
itary  genius  could  invent,  and  that  perfect  valor  and  disci 
pline  could  execute,  were  thrown  in  his  way.     Dense  woods 
blocked  his  advance,  and  a  two  days'  battle  in  this  gloomy 
"Wilderness"  cost  20,000  of  his  brave  men;  but  acknowl 
edging  no  defeat,  he  pressed  on,  intending  to  turn  the  Con 
federate  right   flank   and   cut  their  line  of   connection  with 
Richmond. 

551.  Lee  perceived  the  plan,   and  checked  it  by  placing 
a  division  of  his  army  upon   Grant's   road   to   Spottsylvania 

(3°4) 


MOVEMENTS  TOWARD  RICHMOND. 


305 


Court-house.  Five  days'  severe  fighting  resulted  in  immense 
losses  to  both  parties  and  no  decided  gain  to  either.  Still 
Grant  telegraphed,  ' '  I  propose  to  fight  it  out  on  this  line,  if 
it  takes  all  summer."  He  relied  upon  the  superior  resources 
of  the  North  in  men  and  means ;  and  thought  that,  the  cam 
paign  once  begun,  the  inter 
est  of  all  parties  required 
him  to  push  it  through  to 
the  speediest  possible  con 
clusion. 

552.  Sheridan's  Raid, 

— Of  three  side-movements 
which  he  had  planned,  only 
one  succeeded.  General 
Sigel  was  severely  defeated 
in  the  Shenandoah  Valley, 
and  General  Butler  on  the 
James.  General  Sheridan,1 
however,  made  a  brilliant 
cavalry  dash  around  the 


rear    of    the    Confederate 


Philip  H.  Sheridan. 


army,  destroyed  miles  of  railroad  on  which  it  depended  for 
supplies,  and  even  captured  some  of  the  outer  defenses  of 
Richmond. 

553.  The  Confederate  General  Early,  meanwhile,  with 
12,000  men,  dashed  down  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  crossed 
into  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  and  threatened  Washing 
ton.  It  was  saved,  however,  by  the  timely  advance  of  Na 
tional  troops,  and  Early  retreated.  In  September  he  was  met 
by  Sheridan,  who  defeated  him  twice,  and  drove  him  up  the 
Valley.  In  a  battle  at  Cedar  Creek,  the  Confederates  seemed 
likely  to  regain  all  that  they  had  lost,  for  the  Federals  were 
driven  four  miles  from  their  position;  but  Sheridan,  hearing 
the  roar  of  cannon  thirteen  miles  away,  galloped  to  the  field 
just  in  time  to  rally  his  disordered  lines  and  lead  them  back 

U.  S.  H.-20. 


306 


HISTOR  Y  OF  THE  UNITED  STA  TES. 


to  victory.  Washington  was  never  again  threatened  by  the 
Confederates.  The  beautiful  Shenandoah  Valley  was  left 
bare  of  every  thing  that  could  feed  or  tempt  an  army. 

554.  Disaster  at  Petersburg. — Grant  was  still  pushing 
his  advance,  resisted  at  every  step.     Crossing  the  James,  he 
besieged   both   Richmond    and    Petersburg.     At    the    latter 

place  a  mine  was  sprung 
under  a  Confederate  fort, 
and  the  Union  troops 
pressed  forward  over  the 
ruins;  but  they  were  met 
by  a  storm  of  shot  and 
shell  which  destroyed  four 
thousand  lives  in  a  few 
minutes. 

A  first  attempt  upon  the 
Weldon  Railroad  failed  with 
immense  loss;  but  in  Au 
gust  that  important  line 
was  secured  by  the  Na 
tional  troops,  and  Rich- 
Joseph  E.  Johnston.  mond  wag  cut  off  from  the 

South.     The  siege  continued  until  April  of  1865. 

555.  Campaign   in   Georgia. — Sherman   moved    from 
Chattanooga   toward   Atlanta   three   days   later   than   Grant 
entered  upon  his  campaign  in  the  Wilderness.     His  forces 
were   nearly   double   those   of  Johnston,2  who   conducted   a 
masterly  retreat  among  the  woods  and  mountains  of  north 
ern  Georgia.     Avoiding  a  battle,  Johnston  intrenched  him 
self  in  the  strongest  positions  where,  if  attacked,  he  always 
repulsed  his  enemy;  but  Sherman,  by  a  skillful  flank  move 
ment,  always  managed  to  seize  his  lines  of  supply  and  force 
him  to  fall  back. 

556.  In   this  way   the  two   armies  arrived  near   Atlanta, 
where  Johnston  was  superseded  by  General  Hood,  and  more 


SHERMAN  IN  GEORGIA. 


307 


active  operations  commenced.      Johnston's  cautious  tactics, 

though  they  had  displeased  his  superiors,  were  fully  justified 

by  the  results.     Hood  was  three  times  defeated  within  nine 

days,  with  a  loss  of  20,000 

men.     Sherman  broke  up 

the  railroads   to   the  west 

and  south  of  Atlanta,  and 

managed  to  throw  himself 

between  two  divisions   of 

Hood's  army,  so  that  he 

could  crush  them  both  in 

succession. 

557.  Destruction  of 
Atlanta. — Thus  out-gen- 
eraled   and    cut   off   from 
supplies,  Hood  destroyed 
what    he    could     of    the 
mills,  foundries,  and  stores 
in  Atlanta,  and  abandoned 

the  place.  Georgia,  the  "Empire  State  of  the  South,"  sur 
passed  all  the  other  seceded  states  in  the  number  and  value 
of  her  manufactures.  The  destruction  of  the  machine-shops, 
factories,  and  foundries,  whence  the  greater  part  of  its  ma 
terial  of  war  had  been  derived,  was  an  incalculable  loss  to 
the  blockaded  Confederacy. 

558.  Sherman's   March  to  the   Sea. — Hood  pushed 
northward   into   Tennessee,    expecting   that   Sherman  would 
follow    him.     But   this   was   no   part   of   the   Federal  plan. 
Leaving  Generals  Schofield  and  Thomas  to  complete  the  de 
struction  of   Hood's  army,   Sherman 3  burned   Atlanta,   and 
moved   rapidly    toward   the   sea,    with   his   army   of  60,000 
men.     Moving  in  four  columns,  living  upon  the  country  as 
they  went,   tearing  up  and  twisting  iron   rails  so  as  utterly 
to  destroy  railway  connections,  the  conquering  army  left  a 
track   of  desolation   sixty   miles   in   width    behind    it.      No 


William  T.  Sherman. 


308  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

effective  resistance  was  encountered,  for  all  able-bodied  men 
were  in  Confederate  camps.  The  South  had  put  forth  her 
last  efforts,  and  the  Confederacy  was  indeed  "an  empty 
shell." 

559.  The  city  of  Savannah  was  abandoned,  after  Fort 
McAllister  had  been  taken  by  storm,   and  it  was  occupied 
by  General  Sherman,   December  21. 

General  Butler's  attempt  upon  Fort  Fisher,  which  guarded 
Wilmington,  in  North  Carolina,  failed  a  few  days  later;  but 
Commodore  Porter4  maintained  his  position  with  his  gun 
boats,  and  upon  the  arrival  of  fresh  troops  the  fort  was  taken, 
January  15,  1865.  The  last  port  of  the  Confederacy  was 
now  closed. 

560.  Mobile  Bay. — The  forts  and  floating  defenses  of 
Mobile  harbor  had  been  taken  in  August,  by  Admiral  Far- 
ragut,   in  one  of  the  most  remarkable  naval  actions  of  the 
war.     The   approaches   from   the   Gulf  were   well  guarded, 
not  only  by  forts  and  batteries  'on  shore,  but  by  sunken  tor 
pedoes,  and  by  a  powerful  fleet,  commanded  by  the  highest 
officer  of  the  Confederate  navy.     The  fourteen  Federal  ves 
sels  that  were  outside  the  bar  advanced,   "two  abreast  and 
lashed  together,"  delivering  their  broadsides  of  heavy  shot 
with  perfect  precision  as  they  passed  the  forts.     Four  Federal 
iron-clads  already  within  the  bar  joined  in  the  battle,  which 
was  kept  up  for  three  hours  with  great  spirit  and  resolution  on 
both  sides.     The  severest  conflict  was  with  the  Confederate 
ram   Tennessee,   which  engaged  five   Union  vessels  at  once, 
but  at  length  surrendered.     Mobile  Bay  was  restored  to  the 
nation,  and  blockade-running  ceased  in  the  Gulf.     Charleston 
had  been  besieged  since  June  of  1863  by  Admiral  Dahlgren 
and  General  Gillmore. 

561.  Re-election  of  Lincoln. — At  the  autumn  election 
of  1864  Abraham  Lincoln  was  chosen  President  by  an  im 
mense   majority   in   the    loyal    states,    Andrew  Johnson,    of 


NOTES.  309 


Tennessee,  being  Vice-president.  Congress  voted  an  amend 
ment5  to  the  Constitution,  declaring  that  "neither  slavery 
nor  involuntary  servitude,  except  as  a  punishment  for  crime, 
shall  exist  within  the  United  States,  or  any  place  subject 
to  their  jurisdiction."  In  due  time  this  amendment  was  rat 
ified  by  the  legislatures  of  more  than  three  fourths  of  the 
states,  and  became  a  fundamental  law  of  the  land. 

NOTES. 

1  Philip  Henry  Sheridan  was  born  in  Somerset,  Perry  County,  Ohio, 
in  1831,  and  received  his  education  at  West  Point.  Until  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Civil  War  he  was  stationed  most  of  the  time  in  Texas  and  on  the 
Pacific  coast.  He  was  then  made  chief  quartermaster  to  the  army  of 
South-western  Missouri,  and  it  was  not  until  May  of  1862  that  he  was 
transferred  to  a  cavalry  command.  He  immediately  began  to  show  that 
ability  and  energy  which  afterwards  caused  him  to  be  recognized  as  the 
most  able  cavalry  leader  of  the  war.  P'or  defeating  a  superior  cavalry 
force  at  Booneville,  Miss.,  on  July  1st,  1862,  he  was  made  brigadier-general, 
and,  the  following  December,  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  major-general 
for  gallant  action  at  Murfreesborough.  At  Chickamauga  he  again  dis 
tinguished  himself:  and,  at  the  head  of  his  division,  fearlessly  led  the 
charge  up  Missionary  Ridge.  When  Grant  was  made  lieutenant-general 
of  the  United  States  armies  in  1864,  he  had  Sheridan  transferred  to  tho 
East,  and  gave  him  command  of  the  cavalry  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
The  many  brilliant  raids  and  hard-won  victories  which  followed,  increased 
his  fame ;  and  the  decisive  battle  of  Five  Forks,  conducted  by  Sheridan 
with  rare  skill,  compelled  Lee  to  evacuate  Petersburg. 

Sheridan's  rank  is  now  lieutenant-general  of  the  regular  army,  and  his 
head-quarters  are  at  Chicago,  Illinois. 

2.  Joseph  Eccleston  Johnston  was  born  in  Prince  Edward  County, 
Va    in  1807.  and  graduated  at  West  Point  in  1829.    Of  all  the  Southern 
generals,  he  had  held  the  senior  rank  in  the  United  States  army,  and, 
notwithstanding  a  great  deal  of  unjust  criticism,  he  probably  did  more 
for  the  Confederate  cause  than  any  general  except  Lee. 

He  had  had  extensive  experience  on  the  western  frontier,  against  the 
Florida  Indians,  and  in  the  Mexican  War.  During  the  latter  he  was 
twice  wounded,  and  for  his  gallantry  was  three  times  breveted,  rising  to 
the  rank  of  colonel.  In  1860  he  had  attained  the  rank  of  brigadier-general 
of  staff,  and  held  this  position  when  he  resigned  his  commission  April 
22d  1861,  and  cast  his  lot  with  the  Confederacy.  After  the  surrender  of 
his  army  to  General  Sherman,  he  addressed  the  following  order  to  his 

r"(Comrades:  In  terminating  our  official  relations,  I  earnestly  exhort 
you  to  observe  faithfully  the  terms  of  pacification  agreed  upon ;  and  to 
discharge  the  obligations  of  good  and  peaceful  citizens,  as  well  as  you 
have  performed  the  duties  of  thorough  soldiers  in  the  field.  By  such  a 
course  you  will  best  secure  the  comfort  of  your  families  and  kindred,  and 
restore  tranquillity  to  our  country." 

3.  "William  Tecumseh  Sherman  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Ohio,  in  1820. 
When  he  was  nine  years  of  age  his  father  died,  and  the  Hon.  Thomas 
Ewirig  took  Sherman  into  his  family.    After  graduating  at  West  Point  in 
1840,  Sherman  saw  active  service  in  the  Seminole  War,  but  took  no  part  in 
the  Mexican  War  which  followed.    At  that  time  he  was  stationed  on  the 
Pacific  coast,  where  he  remained  until  1850.    He  then  was  sent  to  New 
York  as  bearer  of  dispatches,  and  while  there  was  married  to  Ellen  Ewing, 
daughter  of  his  benefactor.    He  resigned  from  the  army  in  1853,  and  en 
gaged  in  banking  in  San  Francisco  and  New  York.    During  1858  and  1859 


310  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


he  practiced  law  in  Leavenworth,  and  on  January  1,  1860,  he  assumed  the 
duties  of  superintendent  of  the  "  Louisiana  State  Seminary  of  Learning 
and  Military  Academy  "  at  Alexandria.  When  it  seemed  probable  that 
the  state  would  join  in  the  secession  movement,  Sherman  demanded 
his  release  from  the  governor  of  the  state.  His  request  was  granted,  and 
in  February  of  1861  Sherman  removed  to  St.  Louis.  Being  appointed 
colonel  in  the  regular  army,  he  embarked  in  the  war,  commanding 
a  division  at  the  memorable  battle  of  Bull  Run.  After  that  battle,  he 
was  made  brigadier-general  of  V9lunteers  and  transferred  to  the  West. 
His  action  there  soon  stamped  him  as  an  able  commander,  and  in  his 
official  report  of  the  battle  of  Shiloh  General  Grant  said,  "  I  am  indebted 
to  General  Sherman  for  the  success  of  the  battle."  His  gallant  service 
during  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  was  rewarded  by  the  rank  of  brigadier- 
general  in  the  regular  army.  When  Grant  was  made  lieutenant-general, 
he  had  Sherman  appointed  as  his  successor  in  chief  command  of  the 
Western  armies  of  the  Union,  and  the  latter  immediately  began  to  pre 
pare  for  that  "  March  to  the  Sea,"  which  is  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
events  in  our  history. 

After  Grant's  resignation  of  the  office,  Sherman  was  appointed  General 
of  the  army,  and  still  holds  that  position,  with  head-quarters  at  Wash 
ington. 

4.  David  Dixon  Porter  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1813.    His  father 
was  David  Porter,  who  did  such  gallant  service  in  the  War  of  1812  (g379). 
Both  father  and  son  entered  the  service  of  Mexico  in  her  war  with  Spain, 
and  when  the  latter  was  only  fourteen  years  of  age  he  was  engaged  in  a 
very  bloody  sea-fight  with  a  much  superior  Spanish  vessel.    That  war 
closing,  young  Porter  entered  the  United  States  Navy,  and  after  a  long 
interval  of  peace,  during  which  he  served  in  the  Mediterranean  squadron, 
and  on  the  coast  survey  at  home,  the  Mexican  War  gave  him  an  oppor 
tunity  of  adding  fresh   laurels  to  an  already  famous  name.    His  first 
service  in  the  Civil  War  was  the  relief  of  Fort  Pickens,  and  he  then  im 
mediately  began  the  construction  and  organization  of  the  mortar  flotilla 
which  did  such  effective  work  in  the  reduction  of   New  Orleans  and 
Vicksburg.    Porter's  aid  in  capturing  the  last  point  won  him  the  rank  of 
rear-admiral,  and  he  was  given  command  of  all  the  naval  forces  on  the 
western  rivers  above  New  Orleans.    Being  transferred  to  the  North  At 
lantic  blockading  squadron,  Porter  crowned  his  valuable  services  to'  the 
Union  by  the  capture  of  Fort  Fisher  at  Wilmington,  N.  C.    He  was  made 
vice-admiral  in  1866,  and  for  the  four  succeeding  years  had  charge  of  the 
naval  school  at  Annapolis.    In  1870,  on  the  death  of  Farragut,  he  suc 
ceeded  to  the  highest  rank,  as  Admiral  of  the  Navy  of  the  United  States. 

5.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  wording  of  this  amendment  is  identical, 
in  part,  with  that  of  the  act  establishing  the  North-west  Territory  (§324), 
and  with  the  language  of  the  Wilmot  Proviso  (g  460,  Note). 


CHAPTER  XL. 

TWENTIETH    ADMINISTRATION EVENTS    OF    1865. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  President.  Andrew  Johnson,  Vice-president. 

562.  Sherman  in  South  Carolina. — After  a  month's 
rest   in   Savannah,    Sherman   pursued   his    "grand   march" 
through  the  Carolinas.     Columbia  was  taken,  February  17, 
after  its  stores  of  cotton  had  been  set  on  fire.     The  flames 
spread  to  dwellings,   and  a  great  part  of  the  city  was  con 
sumed.     General    Hardee    found   it   necessary    to    abandon 
Charleston.     The  immense  magazines  of  cotton  were  kindled 
by  his  orders;  unhappily  the  fire  reached  a  mass  of  powder, 
and  two  hundred  lives   were   destroyed  by   the   explosion.1 
Though  every  effort  was  made  to  arrest  the  flames,  the  fair 
city  became  a  scene  of  ruin  and  desolation. 

563.  Passing  into  North  Carolina,  Sherman  was  met 
by  Johnston,  who  had  been  again  placed  in  command.     The 
latter  was  defeated  at  Averysboro  and  Bentonville,  and,  April 
13,  Sherman  took  possession  of  Raleigh.     The  forces  of  the 
Confederacy   now   consisted    of  the  remnant  of  Johnston's 
troops  and  Lee's  army  of  40,000  men,  which  lay  behind  the 
earth-works  of   Richmond   and   Petersburg,   hemmed   in  by 
Grant's  100,000  veterans. 

564.  The  Last  Effort. — To  disguise  his  plan  of  moving 
southward  to  join  Johnston,    Lee   attacked   and   took   Fort 
Steedman,  but  it  was  almost  immediately  recaptured.     Three 
thousand  men  were  lost  in  the  vain  assault,  and  Grant  made 
no  movement  to  relax  his   hold  upon   the  Southern  roads. 
On   the   first   of   April   Sheridan   advanced   to    Five   Forks, 
twelve  miles  in  the  rear  of  Lee's  position,  and  captured  its 
garrison  of  5,000  men. 

(3") 


312  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

565.  Advance  upon  Richmond. — The  next  morning 
the    Union   army    advanced    upon    Richmond.      Resistance 
was   no   longer   possible.     President    Davis   was   in    church 
when  the  news  reached  him  that  the  lines  were  broken  and 
that  Lee  was  forced   to  retire  from  the  capital.     Measures 
were  immediately  taken  for  removing  the  papers  and  other 
property  of  the  Confederate  government.     Citizens  took  the 
alarm,  and  soon  the  streets  were  clogged  with  wagons  carry 
ing    household    goods    and    valuables.      The    confusion    in 
creased  ail  night.     The  city  authorities  ordered  the  destruc 
tion  of  all  intoxicating  liquors;    but  some  soldiers  managed 
to  secure  a  portion,  and  added  the  horrors  of  a  mad  carousal 
to  those  inseparable  from  the  abandonment  of  the  city. 

566.  Burning  of  Richmond. — Four  great  store-houses 
of  tobacco  were  set  on  fire  by  General  EwelPs  order;  iron 
clads  were   blown  up ;  bridges  burnt ;    the   flames    ' '  leaped 
from  street  to  street,"  and  the  roar  of  the  conflagration  was 
heard  above  the  rumbling  of  wheels  and  all  the  other  sounds 
of  flight.     On  Monday  morning,   the  3d  of  April,  the  Na 
tional  forces  occupied  the  Confederate  capital. 

567.  Lee's  Surrender. — Lee  retreated  westward,  closely 
pursued  by   Grant.     His  men  had  nothing  to  eat  but  the 
shoots  of  trees,  and  were  so  worn  out  that  their  progress  was 
very  slow.     Arms  were  thrown  away,  and  hundreds  deserted 
at  a  time.      Sheridan,  with  his  cavalry,  hung  on  his  flanks, 
and  captured  thousands  of  prisoners.     Finally,  on  the  pth, 
Lee  surrendered  his  entire  command,  then  consisting  of  less 
than    28,000   men,    at    Appomattox    Court-house,    Virginia. 
Officers  and  men,  having  given  their  word  of  honor  to  fight 
no   more   against   the    United    States,    "until    properly    ex 
changed,"    were   dismissed   to   their   homes.     Johnston  sur 
rendered2   on    similar    terms    to    Sherman,    April   26th,    and 
the  few   scattered   forces  of    the.  Confederacy  followed  the 
example. 


LINCOLN'S  SECOND  INAUGURATION.  313 


/;.  fojfr/-  .y/^ ' 
i 


Fortress  Monroe. 


568.  Jefferson  Davis,  after  a  feeble  attempt  to  keep  up 
the  forms  of  a  government  at  Danville,  escaped  to  the  south 
ward.     He  was  arrested  by  Union  forces  near  Irwinsville, 
Georgia,  and  was  held  for  two  years  a  prisoner  at  Fortress 
Monroe.     Then  he  was  released  on  bail,  and  the  proposed 
trial  for  treason  never  took  place. 

569.  Mr.  Lincoln's  second  Inaugural  Address,  on 

the  4th  of  March,  1865,  fairly  stated  the  positions  of  the 
two  parties  in  the  Civil  War :  ' '  Both  read  the  same  Bible, 
and  pray  to  the  same  God;  and  each  invokes  His  aid 
against  the  other.  .  .  .  The  prayers  of  both  could  not  be 
answered.  That  of  neither  has  been  answered  fully.  The 
Almighty  has  his  own  purposes.  .  .  .  With  malice  towards 
none,  with  charity  for  all,  with  firmness  in  the  right,  as  God 
gives  us  to  see  the  right,  let  us  strive  on  to  finish  the  work 
we  are  in,  to  bind  up  the  Nation's  wounds,  ...  to  do  all 
which  may  achieve  and  cherish  a  just  and  lasting  peace 
among  ourselves  and  with  all  nations." 

It  was  believed  that  the  same  just  and  manly  spirit  which 


314  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


had  guided  the  nation  through  the  tempest  of  civil  war 
would  best  preside  over  its  interests  in  the  restoration  of 
peace.  But  so  it  was  not  to  be. 

570.  Thanksgiving  Day. — The  fourth  anniversary  of 
the  surrender  of  Sumter  was  appointed  by  the  President  as 
a  day  of  thanksgiving  for  the  close  of  the  war.     By  his  invita 
tion  a  party  of  distinguished  civilians  repaired  to  Charleston, 

and  witnessed  the  raising  of  the  stars  and  stripes 
above  the  ruined  fort.8  He  remained  at  his  post 
in  Washington.  In  the  evening,  learning  that  the  people 
would  be  disappointed  if  he  failed  to  appear  at  the  theater, 
he  went  thither  accompanied  by  his  wife.  A  half-mad  actor, 
named  John  Wilkes  Booth,  who  had  been  nerving  himself 
to  the  horrid  deed  by  draughts  of  brandy,  entered  the  Pres 
ident's  private  box  and  shot  him  through  the  head;  then, 
leaping  to  the  stage,  escaped,  took  horse,  and  spurred  away 
into  the  darkness.  At  the  same  time  another  murderer  vis 
ited  the  house  of  Mr.  Seward,  who  was  ill  in  bed,  and 
stabbed  him  several  times,  but  not  mortally. 

571.  Death  of  the  President. — Mr.   Lincoln  lingered 
until  the  next  morning  in  unconsciousness,   and  then  died. 
The  horror  and  indignation  excited  by  the  wicked  plot  was 
not   confined  to   the   North.     It  was   found,   however,   that 
only  a  few  persons  of  no  great  reputation  were  concerned  in 
it.     Booth  was  overtaken  and  shot,  as  he  refused  to  surren 
der;   four  of  his  accomplices  were  hanged,  and  three  were 
imprisoned  for  life. 

As  the  funeral  escort  of  the  dead  President  passed  through 
the  northern  cities  to  his  old  home  in  Springfield,  Illinois,  it 
was  attended  by  many  tokens  of  the  love  and  grief  of  the 
people. 

572.  The    Seventeenth    President. — Vice-president 
Andrew  Johnson  took  the  oath  of   the  highest  office  on  the 
day  of   Mr.    Lincoln's   death,   and  became  the  seventeenth 
President  of  the  United  States. 


NOTES.  315 


573.  Nevada  was  the  third  state  formed  (1864)  from  the 
lands  acquired  from  Mexico.  Its  rich  silver  mines,  discov 
ered  in  1859,  have  drawn  a  crowd  of  adventurers;  and  in 
no  state  have  such  sudden  and  immense  fortunes  been  made. 
Carson  City  and  Virginia  City  are  centers  of  mining  interests. 

Several  territories  were  divided  during  this  period,  and 
Dakota,  Arizona,  Idaho,  and  Montana  received  regular  terri 
torial  governments. 

Reacl  histories  of  the  Civil  War  by  Greeley,  Draper,  Stephens,  Pol 
lard,  and  Lossing:  Moore's  "Rebellion  Record;"  Badeau's  "Life  of 
Grant;"  Johnston's  "Narrative  of  Military  Operations." 

NOTES. 

1.  "Some  boys  had  discovered  powder  at  the  depot  of  the  "North 
western  Railway," and  amused  themselves  by  throwing  some  of  it  on  the 
burning  cotton  in  the  street.    The  powder  dropping  from  their  hands 
soon  formed  a  train,  along  which  fire  ran  to  the  large  quantity  stored  at 
the  depot.    A  terrible  explosion  followed,  by  which  the  city  was  shaken 
to  its  foundations."—  Lossing. 

2.  Terms  of  surrender  were  first  agreed  upon  between  Sherman  and 
Johnston  on  the  18th  of  April.    But  the  terms  were  considered  too  liberal 
by  the  Government,  and  were  refused. 

3.  On  this  occasion  a  well-deserved  compliment  was  paid  to  Anderson, 
then  a  major-general.    With  his  own  hands  he  raised  the  identical  flag 
that  he  had  been  compelled  to  lower  four  years  before. 


CHAPTER   XLL 

RESULTS   OF    THE    CIVIL   WAR. 

574.  The  war  once  over,  all  reasonable  men  were  ready 
to  join   in   repairing  its  wastes  and   forgetting  its  enmities. 
Doubtless  there  were  selfish  Northern  adventurers,  who  cared 
only  to  make  their  own  fortunes  out  of  the  poverty  of  the 
exhausted  South  and  the  ignorance  of  the  freedmen;  while 
there  were   disappointed  politicians,   who,    having   failed  to 
destroy  the  Government,  used  every  opportunity  to  obstruct 
its   action.      Both   these   classes   presented   obstacles    to   the 
thorough  restoration  of  peace,  but  their  influence  could  not 
be  lasting. 

575.  The  strength  and  the  clemency  of  the  great 
Republic  were  equally  proved  by  the  circumstances  attend 
ing  the  close  of   the  war.     The  hopes  of  its  enemies  were 
disappointed.     It  had  been  said  that  the  peaceful,  industri 
ous  pursuits  of  the  majority  of  the  people  had  unfitted  them 
for  war;   and  that,  used  as  they  were  to  personal  independ 
ence,  they  would  never  submit  to  the  needful  discipline  of 
the  army.     But  it  was  found  that  men  will  fight  most  cheer 
fully  and  bravely  for  a  government  that  represents  their  will 
and  promotes  their  prosperity,  and  that  happy  home-life,  so 
far  from  destroying  courage,  is  a  strong  incentive  to  it. 

576.  Great  anxiety  was  expressed,   at  the  close  of  the 
war,   lest  the  letting  loose  of   more  than  a  million  of  men, 
used   to  the   rough   disorders   of  camp-life,   might   endanger 
the  security   of   the  country.     The   very    persons   who  had 
said  "Americans  will  never  fight,"  now  predicted  that  they 
would  never  cease  from  fighting.     But  the  disbanded  citizen- 
soldiers  gladly  and  peaceably  returned  to  their  homes,  and 
public  order  was  not  seriously  disturbed. 


COSTS  OF  WAR.  317 


577.  The   National  debt  had  increased  to  more  than 
twenty-seven   hundred   millions    of    dollars.      If   to    this   be 
added  the  expenses  of  states,  counties,  and  towns,  the  cost 
of  the  war  was  at  least  $4,000,000,000.      Part  of  the  sum 
was  raised  by   the  issue  of    "greenbacks;"  /.   e.t  the  Gov 
ernment's  promises  to   pay   certain  amounts  to  the  bearer; 
and  these  fell  in  value  until  $2.90  in  paper  had  to  be  paid 
for  $1.00  in  gold.     Gold  and  silver  coin  disappeared,  and, 
until  the  Government  provided  a  fractional  paper  currency, 
postage-stamps  did  duty  as  small  change. 

578.  Prosperity   and   Public   Credit. — At   the   same 
time,  the  immense  contracts  given  out  by  the  Government 
afforded  work  to  multitudes  of  people,  and  never  were  wages 
higher  nor  the  appearances  of  prosperity  greater  than  during 
the  early  years  of  the  war.      Though  the  war  expenses  toward 
the  end  of  the  great  conflict  exceeded  in  one  year  the  whole 
cost  of  the  Government  from  Washington  to  Buchanan,  yet 
public    credit    was    unshaken,    and    the    loan    called    for    in 
March,   1865,  was  taken  to  the  amount  of  $530,000,000  in 
five  months. 

579.  The    Confederate    paper   money   was   only   a 
promise  to  pay  certain  sums,   two  or  six  months  after  the 
conclusion  of  peace  between  the  Confederate  States  and  the 
United  States.     As  the  hope  of  such  a  peace  vanished,  the 
currency  became  worthless,  and  was  found  scattered  about 
the  streets  of  Nashville  and  Atlanta  like  waste  paper.     The 
bonds  of  the  Confederacy,  of  course,  could  never  be  paid. 

580.  The  loss  of  life  during  the  war  was  not  far  from 
600,000  on  both  sides.      It  is  impossible  to  number  the  lin 
gering  deaths  of  those  whose  health  was  ruined  by  exposure 
on  battle-fields  and  in  camps.      Some  idea  of   the  maiming 
effects  of  war  may  be  obtained  from  the  fact  that  the  United 
States  provided  more  than  seven  thousand  artificial  limbs  for 
disabled  soldiers. 


318  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

581.  If  we  ask  what  was  gained  by  all  this  suffering 
and  expenditure  of  life  and  treasure,  we  find  that  the  South, 
before  the  war  was  over,  gave  up  the  two  principles  for  which 
it  was  ostensibly  made.     The  right  of  secession  was  indeed 
a  principle  which  no  government  could  admit,  and,  notwith 
standing  its  assertion  of  state  sovereignty,   the  Confederacy 
was  from  the  very  beginning  more  strongly  centralized  than 
the  Union  had  ever  been.     Its  leaders  found,  just  as  their 
fathers  had  found  in  Revolutionary  times  (§234),  that  a  rope 
of  sand  is  not  strong  enough  to  bear  the  strain  of  war.     One 
flag,  one  uniform,  were  seen  all  through  the  South,  and  one 
will  at  Richmond  controlled  all  movements. 

582.  Abandonment  of  Slavery. — The  other  principle 
was  far  more  reluctantly  abandoned;    but  before  Lee's  sur 
render  the  Confederate  government,  like  that  of  the  Union 
two  years  before,  had  come  to  the  resolution  to  arm  the  ne 
groes,  and  thus  in  the  end  to  set  them  free.     The  two  pur 
poses  of  the  war  being  thus  given,  up,  it  might  seem  that  the 
conflict  itself   should  have  ceased;    and  so  it  would,   at  an 
earlier  date,  if  the  people  had  been  as  well  informed  as  its 
government. 

583.  No  one  can  hear  without  the  warmest  admiration  of 
the   sacrifices  and  sufferings  of   the  Southern  people.     Cut 
off  from  their  usual  means  of  communication  with  the  outer 
wrorld,  they   were   deluded  by   false  rumors  of  success  and 
false  reports  of  the  character  of  their  opponents.     Naturally, 
bitter    prejudices    prevailed;    and    it    was    long    before   the 
people   found   that   their   Northern   fellow-countrymen   were 
human  like  themselves,  and  that  the  real  interests  of  all  were 
the  same.      Before  the  end  of  the  war,  every  man  between 
the  ages  of  seventeen  and  fifty-five  had  been  called  to  the 
ranks;  property  every-where  was  seized  by  the  Confederate 
government  at  its  own  prices.     Many  thousand  soldiers  de 
serted  within  a  few  weeks,  not  from  cowardice,  for  no  men 
were  ever  braver,  but  because  their  families  were  starving. 


^ 

SCIENCE  AND  HUMANITY  IN  ^ 


584.  The  conduct  of   the  war  on  both  sides  proved 

the  progress  of  science.  During  some  great  battles,  all  the  Na 
tional  major-generals  were  in  council,  though  hundreds  of 
miles  apart,  by  the  aid  of  electric  wires.-  Fifteen  thousand 
miles  of  military  telegraph  were  sold  when  the  war  was  over. 
The  antiquated  cannon  and  small  arms  with  which  the  con 
flict  began  were  replaced  by  Dahlgrens,  columbiads,  and  the 
most  improved  rifles,  and  in  naval  architecture  America  sur 
passed  all  nations. 

585.  Sanitary  Commissions. — Never  had  science  and 
human  sympathy  gained  such  victories  over  the  horrid  bru 
talities  of  war.     The   United  States  Sanitary  Commission  dis 
pensed  twelve  millions  of  dollars  in  money  and  supplies  for 
the  relief  of  the  sick  and  wounded,  and  the  Western  Sanitary 
Commission,  three  millions  more.     But  money  could  not  meas 
ure  the  service  rendered:  the  home  comforts  added  to  the 
rough   necessaries  of  the   military    hospital ;    the    « '  feeding- 
stations"  and  night  lodgings  for  soldiers  returning  home  on 
sick-leave;  the  strength  imparted  by  the  assurance  that  their 
sufferings  were  gratefully  remembered. 

586.  The    Christian   Commission,    also,    shared   the 
hardships  of  the  march,  the  trench,  the  battle-field;  and  cared 
for  both  bodies  and  souls.     It  cheered  the  sick,  comforted 
the   dying,    buried   the    dead.      It   supplied    $5,000,000   in 
money   and   material.      Both    Commissions    continued   their 
kind   offices   after   the  war  was  over,   providing    homes   for 
disabled  soldiers  and  employment  for  those  who  needed  it. 

587.  Foreign  Results  of  the  War. — One  sixth  part 
of  all  the  people  in  England  depended  for  their  daily  bread 
upon  the  cotton  manufacture,  and  suffered  severely  from  the 
blockade  (§497)  which  deprived  them  of  their  material  for 
work.     Lancashire  weavers  were  starving;  and  neither  Egypt 
nor  India  could  supply  cotton  enough  to  give  them  employ 
ment.       Moreover,   English   manufacturers  were   injured  by 


320  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


the  high  tariff  (§398)  which  excluded  their  goods  from 
American  markets,  and  a  very  strong  and  bitter  feeling 
against  the  Union  prevailed.  The  British  government,  how 
ever,  resisted  all  pressure  which  would  have  carried  it  into 
interference  in  the  war. 

588.  Napoleon  III.,  Emperor  of  the  French,  be 
lieving  that  the  Union  was  already  destroyed,  sent  an  army 
to  Mexico,  thinking  to  establish  an  empire  of  the  '  *  Latin 
Race"  in  America,  and  perhaps  to  regain  part  of  the  great 
territory  which  France  had  sold  (§§356,  357).  But  the  Union 
victories,  and  the  firm  remonstrances  of  the  Government, 
led  him  to  abandon  his  Mexican  plans.  The  Emperor  Max 
imilian,  whom  he  had  placed  upon  a  tottering  throne,  was 
betrayed  and  shot;  his  poor  wife,  crazed  with  grief,  vainly 
besought  help  from  the  governments  which  had  led  him  to 
his  destruction.  Mexico  continued  to  be  a  republic,  on 
friendly  terms  with  the  United  States. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW.  — PART  V. 


1.  With  what  views  and  expectations  did  the  North 

and  the  South  go  to  war? 

2.  Describe  the  beginning  of  hostilities. 

3.  What  Southern  states  refused  to  secede? 

4.  Name  the  eleven  seceding  states. 

5.  What  preparations  were  made  on  both  sides? 

6.  What  changes  occurred  in  Virginia? 

7.  Describe  the  first  great  battle  and  its  effects. 

8.  The  blockade  and  attempts  to  break  it. 

9.  The  affair  with  the  British  steamer  Trent. 

10.  What  was  accomplished  during  1861  ? 

11.  What  three  objects  comprised  the  Federal  plan  of 

the  war  ? 

12.  Sketch  the  campaign   in  which  forts   Henry  and 

Donelson  were  taken. 

13.  Describe  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  or  Pittsburg  Land 

ing. 

14.  What  occurred  meanwhile  on  the  Mississippi  and 

in  Missouri  ? 

15.  What  was  the  Confederate  plan  for  the  autumn  of 

1862? 

16.  Describe  the  campaign  in  Kentucky. 

17.  What  was  done  on  the  lower  Mississippi? 

1 8.  Describe  the  doings  of  the  Merrimac  and  the  first 

Monitor. 

19.  What  was  done  in   1862  by  the  Army  of  the  Po 

tomac  ? 

20.  What  resulted  from  Lee's  first  invasion  of  Mary 

land? 

21.  What  was  the  general  result  of  1862? 

22.  What  were  the  causes  and  effects  of  the  Emanci 

pation  Proclamation  ? 

23.  What  changes  and  disasters  to  the  Army  of  the 

Potomac,  January  to  May,  1863  ? 
U.  8.  H.— 21. 


(321) 


Section 

487,  488 
489 
490 

481,  490 
491 
492 

493-495 

496-498 

499,   500 

501 

502 
502-504 

5°5-5°7 
508 

509 

510-513 
5H,  5i5 

516-519 
520-524 

525,  526 
528 

529-531 
532 


322 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Section 

24.  Describe  Lee's  second  invasion  of  the  North.  533~535 

25.  The  siege  and  surrender  of   Vicksburg  and  Port 

Hudson.  536-539 

26.  General  Morgan's  movement  north  of  the  Ohio.  540 

27.  The  objects,  scenes,  and  events  of  the  Chattanooga 

campaign.  541-547 

28.  Grant's  campaign  in  the  Wilderness.  549-554 

29.  Sherman's  movements  in  Georgia.  555~559 

30.  What  three  cities  were  besieged  by  the  U.  S.  Navy  ?  559,   560 

31.  What  was  done  by  Sherman  in  the  Carolinas  ?  562,   563 

32.  Describe  the  surrender   of    Richmond,   of    Lee's 

army,  and  of  the  Confederate  president.  564-568 

33.  The  second  inauguration  and  the  death  of  Lincoln.  569-571 

34.  Sum  up  the  effects  of  the  Civil  War  at  home  and  )  574-582,  587, 

abroad.  }  588 

35.  What  scientific  improvements  were  of  use  during 

the  war  ?  584 

36.  What   was   done  by   the  Sanitary  and    Christian 

Commissions?  585,   586 


PART  VI.— THE   UNION  RESTORED. 


CHAPTER   XLII. 
JOHNSON'S  ADMINISTRATION,  A.  D.   1865-1869. 

589.  An  important  question  had  now  to  be  settled. 
Were  the  lately  seceded  states  out  of   the  Union  or  in  it? 
The  President1  held  that  they  had  never  been  out;   a  ma 
jority  in  Congress,  though 

denying  the  privilege  of  se 
cession,  insisted  that  they 
had  forfeited  their  state 
rights  and  must  be  dealt 
with  as  territories.  The  dif 
ference  of  policy  between 
Congress  and  the  President 
grew  wider,  and  three  im 
portant  laws  were  passed 
over  his  veto.  One  estab 
lished  a  Freedmeits  Bureau 
to  protect  and  provide  for 
the  lately  emancipated 
slaves;  a  second  guaran 
teed  their  civil  rights;  a 
third  made  it  illegal  for  the 
President  to  remove  any  civil  officer  without  the  consent  of  the 
Senate. 

590.  Impeachment  of  Andrew  Johnson. — The  last, 
— called  the  "Tenure  of  Office  Bill," — was  infringed  by  the 
President's   dismissal   of   Edwin   M.   Stanton,'2   Secretary   of 

(323) 


Andrew  Johnson. 


324  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

War.     Thereupon  the  House  of  Representatives  impeached 
Andrew  -Johnson  before   the  bar  of   the  Senate. 

March,  1868. 

Chief-justice  Salmon  P.  Chase3  presiding.  The 
trial  lasted  more  than  two  months.  The  President  was  ac 
quitted,  as  one  vote  was  lacking  of  the  two  thirds  required 
for  his  condemnation. 

591.  The   work   of   Reconstruction   went  on.     The 
principle  of  the  Civil  Rights  Bill  was  embodied  in  a  Four 
teenth  Amendment  to  the  Constitution,  which  was  promptly 
accepted  by  Tennessee,  and  ultimately  by  the  other  states. 
In   time   all   the   new  state  governments  annulled  the   ordi 
nances  of  secession,   repudiated   the  Confederate  war-debts, 
and  were  admitted  to  representation  in  Congress.     One  source 
of  bitterness  remained.      Candidates  for  office  were  required 
to  take  the  "iron-clad  oath,"  as  it  was  called,  declaring  that 
they  had  no  part  in  the  war  for  secession.     Few  of  the  in 
telligent   class   in   the   South   could   take    this   oath,    though 
many  frankly  accepted    the  results  of   the  war,    and   were 
ready  in  good  faith  to  resume  their  allegiance  to  the  United 
States.     The  consequence  was  that   public  offices  often  fell 
into  the  hands  of  Northern  immigrants  and  freed  negroes. 

592.  Submarine  Telegraph. — The  year  1866  was  sig 
nalized  by   the   successful   completion   of  a  submarine  tele 
graph   connecting   Europe  and   America.     The  hero  of  the 
enterprise    was   Mr.   Cyrus  W.   Field,4  of   New  York,  who, 
during  twelve  years  of  costly  experiments,  never  lost  heart, 
even  under  disastrous  failure;  but,  crossing  the  ocean  fifty 
times,   succeeded  in  imparting  his  own  courage   to   English 
and  American  capitalists.     The  first  transatlantic  cable  was 
laid  in  1858  from  Heart's  Content,  in  Newfoundland,  to  Va 
lencia  Bay,   in  Ireland.     It   transmitted   four  hundred  mes 
sages,  but  ceased  to  work  within  a  month. 

593.  Many  ridiculed  the  idea  of   renewing   the   attempt, 
but  Mr.  Field  soon  formed  a  new  company  with  a  capital 


THE  ATLANTIC  CABLE. 


325 


Sitka. 

of  three  millions  of  dol- 

Sl  lars;  a  greatly  improved 

cable  was  constructed, 
and  in  June,  1865,  the 

Great  Eastern  began  to  lay  it  on  the  ocean  bed.  Half  her 
task  was  completed,  when  the  cable  broke  and  was  lost  be 
neath  the  waves.  A  new  company  was  promptly  formed, 
a  new  cable  made,  and  in  the  following  summer  the  two 
hemispheres  were  connected  by  lines  of  instant  communica 
tion.  Repairing  to  the  scene  of  her  former  failure,  the 
Great  Eastern  picked  up  the  lost  cable,  joined  the  severed 
strands,  and  successfully  laid  it.  Afterwards  a  cable  was 
laid  from  Brest,  in  France,  to  Duxbury,  in  Massachusetts. 
594.  The  purchase  of  all  Russian  America  for 
$7,200,000,  in  1867,  greatly  enlarged  the  territory  of  the 
United  States.  From  its  south-western  peninsula,  the  whole 
country  is  called  Alaska.  Sitka,  its  chief  town,  is  one  of 
the  rainiest  settlements  on  the  globe.  The  wealth  of  the 


326  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

region  consists  in  its  pine  and  cedar  timber,  its  seal-skins 
and  other  valuable  furs,  and  its  mineral  deposits,  including 
gold.  The  Yukon,  one  of  the  great  rivers  of  the  world, 
flows  for  2,000  miles  through  the  territory.  Its  waters 
abound  in  fish. 

Nebraska  was  admitted  as  the  thirty-seventh  state  in  the 
Union  during  the  year  of  the  Alaska  purchase.  Wyoming 
Territory  was  organized  in  1868,  having  been  formed  from 
parts  of  Dakota,  Idaho,  and  Utah. 

595.  The  Burlingame  Embassy. — One  notable  event 
of  1868  was  the  arrival  of  an  embassy  from  China,  the  first 
ever  sent  by  that  exclusive  empire  to  any  foreign  power. 
Its  head  was  Honorable  Anson  Burlingame,  an  American 
citizen,  and  lately  his  country's  representative  in  China.  He 
had  so  commanded  the  confidence  of  the  Chinese  govern 
ment  that  the  emperor  had  induced  him  to  undertake  this 
important  mission,  not  only  to  the  United  States  but  to 
several  European  courts.  The  Chinese  had  begun  to  cross 
the  Pacific  in  great  numbers,  to  find  employment  in  Cali 
fornia  and  the  inland  mining  states.  A  treaty,  now  con 
cluded  between  the  Asiatic  Empire  and  the  American 
Republic,  guaranteed  security  of  life,  liberty,  and  property 
to  the  people  of  either  nation  while  in  the  territory  of  the 
other. 

NOTES 

1.  Andrew  Johnson's  career  is  a  striking  example  of  the  self-made 
man.  He  was  born  in  1808  at  Raleigh,  N.  C.,  where  his  father  at  different 
times  pursued  the  calling  of  bank  porter,  constable,  and  church  sexton. 
The  family  were  so  poor  that  young  Johnson  received  no  schooling  what 
ever,  and  at  the  age  of  ten  was  apprenticed  to  a  tailor.  Soon  after  this  he 
had  his  ambition  aroused  by  a  charitable  gentleman,  who  used  to  read  to 
the  men  in  the  shop,  and  diligently  employed  his  leisure  hours  in  learn 
ing  to  read.  After  residing  for  a  short  period  at  Laurens  C.  H.,  South  Car 
olina,  he  removed  to  Greenville,  Tennessee,  in  1826,  and  there  married. 
Under  his  wife's  instruction  Johnson  rapidly  extended  his  education, 
and,  becoming  interested  in  local  politics,  was  twice  elected  alderman 
and  twice  mayor  of  the  city.  He  was  three  times  elected  to  the  state  leg 
islature,  and  finally  made  his  appearance  as  a  representative  in  Congress 
in  1843.  He  retained  his  seat  there  until  1853,  when  he  was  elected  gov 
ernor  of  Tennessee.  Johnson  was  a  Democrat  in  principle,  and  in  1860 
was  an  adherent  of  the  Breckinridge  party  ;  but  when  the  question  of  se 
cession  arose,  Johnson,  who  was  then  a  United  States  Senator,  took  a  firm 


NOTES.  327 


stand  for  the  Union.  This  aroused  a  storm  of  indignation  in  the  secession 
party  in  his  native  state,  and  on  his  return  there  in  May,  1861,  a  mob  en 
tered  the  cars  for  the  purpose  of  lynching  him.  He,  however,  met  them 
boldly,  pistol  in  hand,  and  the  mob  retired. 

Lincoln  appointed  Johnson  military  governor  of  Tennessee  in  1862, 
when  his  bold,  energetic  management  of  affairs  attracted  general  atten 
tion  throughout  the  North,  and  marked  him  as  a  fitting  complement  for 
the  presidential  ticket  of  1865. 

Johnson's  course  as  President  was  a  great  surprise  and  disappointment 
to  the  party  that  elected  him,  but  probably  no  President  could  have  car 
ried  out  a  plan  of  reconstruction  that  would  have  been  effective  and  at 
the  same  time  acceptable  to  those  still  burning  with  the  angry  passions 
of  civil  war. 

The  President  attempted  to  secure  the  Democratic  nomination  for  re 
election  but  failed.  He  was  also  defeated  as  candidate  for  United  States 
Senator  in  1870,  and  for  Representative  in  1872.  Finally,  in  1875,  he  was 
elected  to  the  Senate,  but  his  health  failed,  and  on  the  31st  of  July  of  that 
year  he  died. 

2.  Edwin  McMasters  Stanton  (6.  1814,  d.  1869)  was  born  at  Steuben- 
ville,  Ohio,  and  received  his  education  at  Kenyon  College  in  that  state. 
Being  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1836,  he  commenced  practice  at  Cadiz,  Ohio, 
but  afterwards  removed  to  Steubenville.    In  1847,  although  retaining  his 
office  in  the  latter  city,  he  removed  to  Pittsburgh,  and  a  few  years  later 
acquired  a  national  reputation  as  counsel  for  the  state  of  Pennsylvania 
against  the  Wheeling  &  Belmont  Bridge  Co.,  tried  before  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States.    His  business  before  this  court  became  so  con 
tinuous  and  important  that  in  1856  he  removed  to  Washington.    Two 
years  later  he  was  sent  as  United  States  counsel  to  the  Pacific  Coast  in 
some  land  cases  involving  millions  of  money.    He  was  successful  in  these 
cases,  and  while  employed  thus  collected  Mexican  archives  which  were 
scattered  far  and  wide  through  California  in  the  hands  of  unauthorized 
parties.    These  archives  aided  in  the  detection  of  false  claims  to  land  and 
mines,  and  were  of  incalculable  value. 

In  1860  Mr.  Stanton  was  suddenly  appointed  Attorney-general  of  the 
United  States  by  President  Buchanan.  The  office  had  not  been  sought, 
but  was  accepted  at  the  cost  of  a  lucrative  law  practice.  When  Buchan 
an's  term  expired  Mr.  Stanton  resumed  the  practice  of  law;  but  in  1862 
Lincoln  appointed  him  Secretary  of  War.  This  office,  like  the  preceding 
one,  was  unsought,  and  the  appointment  was  made  011  the  urgent  solici 
tation  of  prominent  citizens.  "The  characteristics  of  Mr.  Stanton's  ad 
ministration  were  integrity,  energy,  determination,  singleness  of  purpose, 
and  the  power  to  comprehend  the  magnitude  of  the  rebellion  and  the 
labor  and  cost  in  blood  and  treasure  involved  in  suppressing  it." 

In  1869  Grant  appointed  Mr.  Stanton  as  an  associate  justice  of  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court.  The  Senate  immediately  confirmed  the  appoint 
ment,  but  before  he  could  take  his  seat  he  died  after  a  brief  illness,  having 
worn  himself  out  in  the  service  of  his  country. 

3.  Salmon  Portland  Chase  (6. 1808,  d.  1873)  was  born  at  Cornish,  N.  H. 
His  father  died  when  Chase  was  but  nine  years  old,  and  the  latter's  uncle, 
then  an  Episcopal  bishop  in  Ohio,  undertook  his  education.    After  a  col 
legiate  training,  first  at  Cincinnati  College  and  then  at  Dartmouth,  he 
went  to  Washington,  where  he  taught  school  while  studying  law.    In  1830 
he  removed  to  Cincinnati  to  practice,  and  there  employed  his  leisure  time 
in  preparing  an  edition  of  the  "  Statutes  of  Ohio,"  which  at  once  gave 
him  reputation,  and  has  since  superseded  all  other  editions. 

Chase  was  a  warm  advocate  of  anti-slavery  principles,  and  may  be  con 
sidered  virtually  the  originator  and  leader  of  what  has  since  become  the 
Republican  party.  In  1849  he  was  elected  United  States  Senator,  and  took 
a  prominent  part  in  all  the  exciting  debates  over  the  slavery  question 
which  occurred  during  his  term  (§§463,  467,  4(58,  473-476).  He  was  elected 
governor  of  Ohio  in  1855,  and  reflected  in  1857  by  a  larger  majority  than 
had  ever  been  given  a  governor  in  that  state.  He  was  returned  to  the 
United  States  Senate  in  1860,  but  President  Lincoln  almost  immediately 
made  him  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and  he  bore  one  of  the  most  ardu 
ous  positions  during  the  war,  evolving  and  carrying  out  financial  schemes 
with  wonderful  judgment  and  skill.  As  a  foundation  to  work  upon  he 
had  an  empty  treasury  and  a  poor  National  credit ;  yet  he  rapidly  re- 


328 


HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


paired  both  evils,  and  by  the  National  banking  system,  which  was  purely 
his  invention,  placed  the  finances  of  the  country  on  a  sounder  basis  than 
ever  before  known. 

Mr.  Chase  resigned  from  this  office  in  June,  1864,  only  to  accept,  in  the 
following  December,  the  still  more  responsible  position  of  Chief-justice 
of  the  United  States.  The  grave  questions  raised  immediately  succeeding 
the  war,  which  involved  the  constitutionality  of  certain  acts  of  Congress 
and  the  President,  the  reconstruction  of  the  South,  and  other  matters  of 
equal  importance  were  dealt  with  by  him  in  a  manner  to  excite  the  ad 
miration  of  all. 

In  1870  a  paralytic  stroke  ruined  his  physical  health,  and  although  still 
able  to  perform  the  duties  of  his  office  with  the  usual  clearness  and  great 
ness  of  mind,  he  gradually  wasted  away  and  finally  died  at  New  York  in 
the  sixty-sixth  year  of  his  age. 

4.  Cyrus  W.  Field  was  born  at  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  in  1819,  and,  after 
an  ordinary  education  in  his  native  town,  went  to  New  York  when  fifteen 
years  old,  and  rapidly  worked  his  way  from  a  clerkship  to  the  head  of  a 
large  and  prosperous  mercantile  house.  At  the  age  of  thirty-four  he  re 
tired,  and  for  six  months  traveled  in  South  Americ?*.  Shortly  after  his 
return,  he  was  applied  to  for  aid  in  establishing  a  telegraph  line  across 
Newfoundland  to  connect  with  a  fast  line  of  ocean  steamers.  He  became 
interested  in  the  project,  and  conceived  the  idea  of  extending  the  tele 
graph  line  across  the  ocean.  The  undertaking  seemed  almost  preposter 
ous,  but  Mr.  Field  went  to  work  with  his  usual  energy,  never  ceasing  in 
his  endeavors  nor  losing  hope  until  success  finally  crowned  his  efforts. 
Not  content  with  this  wonderful  achievement,  Mr.  Field  endeavored  to 
organize  a  company  to  establish  a  .submarine  cable  from  San  Francisco 
to  Japan,  and  thus  complete  the  telegraphic  circuit  of  the  globe.  He  did 
not  succeed,  however,  and  for  the  present  the  undertaking  has  been 
abandoned. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 


TWENTY-FIRST    AND    TWENTY-SECOND    ADMINISTRATIONS, 
A.    D.     1869-1877. 


Ulysses  S.  Grant,  President. 


Schuyler  Colfax,  Henry  Wilson,  Vice-presidents 


Crossing  the  Prairies. 

596.  The  Eighteenth   President. 
— By  the  elections  in  the  autumn  of  1868 
General  Ulysses   S.    Grant1   became   the 
eighteenth  President,  and  Schuyler  Colfax, 
of  Indiana,  Vice-president  of  the  United  States. 

597.  The  Pacific  Railroad  was  completed  in  May, 
1869.  For  six  years  the  great  work  had  been  in  progress, 
at  once  from  San  Francisco  in  the  west,  and  Omaha,  Ne 
braska,  in  the  east.  The  two  construction-trains  met  at 
Ogden,  in  Utah,  one  party  having  completed  882  miles  of 
road,  the  other  1032.  The  great  continent,  of  which  Co 
lumbus  and  his  fellow  discoverers  saw  only  the  eastern  edge, 
no  longer  blocked  the  way  to  India,  but  afforded  the  speed 
iest  passage  to  it  even  for  Europeans. 

(329) 


33° 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


598.  The  first  few  months  of  1870  saw  the  restoration 
of  the  South  to  all  her  abandoned  rights.     The  Senators 
and  representatives  of  Texas,  last  of  all  the  seceded  states, 
resumed  their  seats  in  Congress,  March  30.     On  the  same 
day  the  President  proclaimed  the  Fifteenth  Amendment,— 
already  adopted  by  Congress  and  ratified  by  three  fourths  of 
the  states, — as  part  of  the  Constitution.     It  prevented  the 
legal  denial  of  his  right  to  vote  to  any  citizen  of  the  United 
States  on  account  of  race,  color,  or  previous  condition  of 
servitude. 

599.  Unsettled  war  claims,  arising  from  the  mischief 
done  by  Confederate  cruisers  under  the  British  flag,   occa 
sioned  some  anxiety  both   in  England  and  America.     But 
neither  "government  was  unwise  enough  to  plunge  the  two 
nations   into   war   for   matters   which    could    be    settled   by 
reason.     A    "Joint   High   Commission,"    consisting  of  five 

English   and   five    American    statesmen,    met   at 

Jan.,  1871.  .  .          .  •  . 

Washington,  and,  after  a  fair  discussion,  agreed 
that  all  claims  of  either  nation  against  the  other  should  be 
decided  by  three  modes  of  arbitration : 

._  600.  (i)  The  "Alabama  Claims," — including  demands 
for  injury  done  by  several  other  English-built  Confederate 
cruisers, — were  submitted  to  a  board  of  commissioners  from 
five  friendly  nations.  This  board  met  at  Geneva,  Switzer 
land,  in  the  summer  of  1872,  and,  having  heard  the  lawyers 
on  both  sides,  decreed  that  Great  Britain  should  pay  to  the 
United  States  fifteen  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars.  To  the 
lasting  praise  of  the  British  government,  the  amount  was 
paid  without  demur. 

601.  (2)  A  question  concerning  the  boundary  between 
Washington  Territory  and  British  Columbia  was 
referred  to  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  and  his  decision  was 
accepted  by  both  parties.  (3)  Some  years  later  three  com 
missioners,  one  English,  one  American,  and  one  chosen  by 


CONFLAGRA  TIONS. 


33* 


the  first  two,  met  at  Boston  to  settle  claims  arising  from 
the  fisheries  near  the  coasts  of  Nova  Scotia  and  Newfound 
land.  In  consequence  of  their  award,  the  United  States  paid 
to  Great  Britain  five  millions  of  dollars.  Lovers  of  peace 
rejoice  that  a  step  has  thus 
been  made  toward  the  good 
time  coming, — though  doubt 
less  yet  too  far  away, — when 
cannon-law  between  nations 
shall  be  esteemed  as  obsolete 
and  brutal  as  ' '  fist-law  "  be 
tween  individual  men. 


Ulysses  S.  Grant. 


Oct.  8  and  9,  1871. 


602,  The  Chicago  Fire. 
— The  years  1871  and  1872 
were    marked    by    several 
dreadful  fires.     For  two  days 
Chicago  was  burning, — solid 
masses  of   stone,   iron,    and 
brick  making  scarcely  more 

resistance  to  the  fierce  heat  than  the  lightest  wooden  build 
ings.  Nearly  100,000  persons  were  deprived 
of  homes;  and  the  property  destroyed  was 
worth  $200,000,000.  About  the  same  time  the  great  lum 
ber-lands  of  Wisconsin  and  Michigan  were  visited  by  im 
mense  conflagrations.  The  flames  spread  from  forests  to 
villages ;  people  plunged  into  lakes  or  rivers  to  escape  them, 
but  uncounted  hundreds  perished. 

603.  Boston  was  visited  in  November,   1872,  by  a  simi 
lar    disaster,    though    with    less   loss   of   life    and    property. 
More  than  sixty  acres,   covered  with  magnificent  structures 
of  granite    and   brick,    were   laid   in    ashes.      The 
disaster  was   greater   from   an   epidemic  which   had 
disabled  all   the   horses   in   Boston,    so   that   the   heavy   fire- 
engines  had  to  be  drawn  by  men.     With  wonderful  energy 


332 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  SJ^ATES. 


Democrats, 
peace,    and 


both  Chicago  and  Boston  recovered  from  their  great  calami 
ties  ;  so  that  within  a  year  or  two  ' '  the  burnt  districts " 
were  only  to  be  known  by  more  splendid  and  massive  build 
ings  than  those  which  the  flames  had  destroyed. 

604.  Horace  Greeley,2  founder  and  editor  of  the  "  New 
York   Tribune,"   was    proposed   for    the  presidency,    in   the 
autumn  of  1872,  both  by  the  Liberal  branch  of  the  Repub 
lican    party    and    by   the 

He    loved 
at    the    first 

movement  toward  seces 
sion  in  1860  had  even  ad 
vocated  a  friendly  separa 
tion  of  the  states  rather 
than  war.  He  soon 
changed  his  views,  and 
favored  the  "  short,  sharp, 
and  decisive"  conflict 
which  might  lead  to  settled 
peace.  His  name  was  on 
the  bond  which  released 
the  ex-president  of  the 
Confederacy  from  prison ; 
and  many  thought  his  election  would  hasten  the  return  of 
good  feeling  between  different  sections  of  the  country.  Grant, 
however,  was  reflected,  with  Henry  Wilson,  of  Massachusetts, 
as  Vice-president;  and  Greeley,  broken  down  by  labor,  ex 
citement,  and  domestic  sorrow,  died  within  the  month. 

605.  Grant's   Indian   Policy. — The   President  had  a 
new   and  hopeful  plan   for  preventing  trouble  with  the  In 
dians.     This  was  to  civilize  and  win  them  by  every  possible 
means  to  the  pursuits  of  peace.     To  this  end  he  proposed 
schools,  model  farms,  premiums  for  success  in  cattle-raising, 
etc.;  and,  as  Quaker  policy  toward  the  Indians  was  the  only 
one  that  had  ever  succeeded  (§120),  he  committed  all  ques- 


Horace  Greeley. 


FINANCIAL   TROUBLES.  333 

tions  concerning  them  to  a  board  consisting  mainly  of 
"Friends,"  while  an  educated  Indian,  who  had  served  on 
his  staff  during  the  war,  was  a  prominent  member.  But 
this  humane  scheme  could  not  immediately  efface  the  memory 
of  many  wrongs. 

606.  The  Modocs  had  been  ordered  from  their  lands  in 
Oregon  to  a  new  reservation  in  the  Indian  Territory.     They 
refused  to  go,  and,  intrenching  themselves  upon  their  < '  lava- 
beds,"  defied  the  Government  to  remove  them.     Their  leader 
was  "Captain  Jack,"  whose  father  had  been  killed  by  the 
order  of  a  United  States  officer,  when  under  a  flag  of  truce. 
The  Modocs  were  soon  surrounded  and  overpowered;    but 
to   avoid  bloodshed   a  truce   was   agreed   upon, 

April,  1873. 

during  which  General  Canby  and  six  commis 
sioners  met  the  chiefs  in  council.  Revenge  and  treachery 
won  the  day.  The  General  and  a  kind-hearted  clergyman 
were  murdered  in  the  presence  of  the  council ;  another  com 
missioner  was  shot  but  not  killed.  War  was  then  prosecuted 
until  the  whole  band  surrendered,  and  their  chiefs,  having 
been  tried  by  court-martial,  were  put  to  death. 

607.  Effects  of   Paper    Money. — The   unsettling   of 
values  by  the  Civil  War  (§§577,  5 7 8)  still  kept  the  money- 
markets  in  an  excited  and  unhealthy  state.     There  was  great 
seeming  prosperity ;  hundreds  of  millions  of  the  public  debt 
were   paid;    but  eight   years   went  by   without  any   serious 
attempt  to  redeem  the  Government's  promises  on  the  green 
backs,   and  the   frequent  rise  and   fall   of  their  value  gave 
every  opportunity  to  wild  speculation. 

608.  Railways  and  Money  Panics, — More  railroads 
were   begun   than   the    country    needed   or   could   pay   for. 
Chief  of  these  was  the  "Northern  Pacific,"  from  Duluth,  on 
Lake  Superior,  to  Puget  Sound.     Its  stock  was  largely  held 
and   sold  by   a  banking   firm  in  Philadelphia.     The  failure 
of  this  firm  in  1873  gave  a  shock  to  the  commercial  world, 


334  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

and  in  the  panic  many  banks  and  other  establishments  were 
forced  to  suspend  payments.  Public  works  ceased;  multi 
tudes  of  the  poor  were  without  employment.  "  Hard  times" 
were  most  keenly  felt  by  those  who  had  no  share  in  causing 
them. 

609.  Worst  of  all  was  the  destruction  of  confidence.     No 
one  knew  whom  to  trust.     So  many  enormous  fortunes  had 
been  made  by  fraudulent  contracts  or  by  scarcely  less  fraud 
ulent  speculation,  that  men  were  tempted  to  despise  the  mod 
erate  rewards  of  honest  employments,  and  to  join  in  the  rush 
for  sudden  wealth.     Reproach  fell  even  upon  Senators  and 
Representatives  at  Washington.      A  long  series  of  investiga 
tions  resulted  in  the  clearing  of  a  few  names,  but  left  others 
deeply  shadowed. 

610.  Ring  Robberies. — The  management  of  New  York 
and  other   great  cities  fell   into  the  hands  of  thieves,   who 
robbed  the  public  treasury  and  bribed  voters  to  keep  them 
selves  and  their  tools  in  power.     Tax-payers  were  too  busy 
to  look  after  their  own  interests.      Suddenly  their  eyes  were 
opened,  and  then  the  movement  toward  reform  was  as  swift 
and  thorough  as  the  current  of   crime  and   corruption  had 
been.     So  many  frauds  were  brought  to  light  that   "at  first 
sight  it  seemed  as  if  the  world  had  suddenly  grown  worse ; 
on  second  reflection  it  was  clear  that  it  was  growing  better." 

611.  The   Specie  Resumption  Act,  passed  by  Con 
gress  in   1876,   provided   for   the  redemption  in  coin  of  all 
legal  tender  notes  on  and  after  January  i,   1879. 

Colorado,  the  thirty-eighth  state,  was  admitted  to  the  Union 
in  1876.  The  wonderful  dryness  of  its  air  makes  it  the 
paradise  of  pilgrims  in  search  of  health;  while  its  metallic 
wealth  affords  abundant  attraction  to  miners  and  adventurers. 

612.  The  Centennial  Year.— The  year  1876  completed 
a  century  of  American  Independence.     The  great  Republic 
had  surpassed  the  hopes  of  her  friends  and  disappointed  the 


HOSTILE  INDIANS.     .  335 


wishes  of  her  enemies.  Though  assailed  by  foes  within, 
she  had  proved  strong  enough  not  only  to  conquer  but  to 
forgive.  The  Centennial  was  celebrated  by  a  great  Inter 
national  Exposition  at  Philadelphia.  More  than  two  hun 
dred  buildings  were  erected  in  Fairmount  Park,  where  a 
magnificent  display  of  the  products  of  all  the  zones  delighted 
increasing  throngs  of  visitors  for  six  months. 

613.  Dom    Pedro   II.,    the  energetic  and   enlightened 
Emperor  of   Brazil,   was  present,   with   President  Grant,   at 
the  opening,  and  afterwards  pursued  his  journey  through  the 
states,  inquiring  into  every  thing  that  could  be  of  use  to  his 
great  undeveloped  empire. 

614.  The  war  with  the  Sioux  more  sadly  signalized 
the  Centennial  summer.     Instead  of  confining  themselves  to 
the  extensive  lands  in  Dakota  which  they  had  accepted  by 
treaty  with  the  United  States,  these  savages  were  committing 
robberies  and  murders  in  Montana  and  Wyoming.     A  large 
detachment  of  the  regular  army  was  sent  to  subdue  them. 
General  Custer,  with  the  Seventh  Cavalry,  was  reconnoiter- 
ing  near  the  Little  Horn  River,  when  he  suddenly 

came  upon  the  Indians  in  force.     A  fierce  battle 
followed,  in  which  the  General,  with  every  man  of  his  com 
mand,  was  slain. 

This  great  disaster  led,  of  course,  to  a  stern  following  up 
of  the  war.  The  savages  were  defeated  many  times  during 
the  summer,  autumn,  and  winter,  until  a  remnant  of  their 
number,  under  the  chiefs  Sitting  Bull  and  Crazy  Horse,  es 
caped  into  British  territory. 

615.  The   Republican  party  had  now  been  in  power 
sixteen  years,  the  most  exciting  and  momentous  years  in  the 
history  of  our  country.     Violent  differences  of   opinion  had 
arisen  in  those  years  concerning  finance,  reconstruction,  and 
other  questions  occasioned  by  the  war;  and  the  presidential 
canvass  of   1876   was   the  most  closely  contested   that  had 


336 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Ouster's  Last  Fight. 

ever  been  held.  "Returning  Boards"  had  been  appointed 
in  some  of  the  Southern  states  with  the  power  of  declaring 
the  result  of  elections.  Their  decision  in  favor  of  the  Re 
publican  party  in  Florida  and  Louisiana  was  immediately 
denounced  by  the  Democratic  party  as  fraudulent;  the  Re 
publicans  firmly  disputed  the  accusation,  and  serious  trouble 
seemed  imminent. 


NOTES.  337 


616.  The  Joint  High  Commission. — When  Congress 
met,  there  was  a  long  debate.  It  was  agreed  at  last  that  a 
Commission  consisting  of  five  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
five  Senators,  and  five  Representatives  should  hear  the  evi 
dence  and  decide.  Their  conclusion  was  reached  two  days 
before  the  end  of  General  Grant's  term.  It  was  to  the  effect 
that  the  Republicans  had  cast  one  hundred  and  eighty-five 
electoral  votes  for  Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  of  Ohio;  the  Dem 
ocrats  had  cast  one  hundred  and  eighty-four  for  Samuel  J. 
Tilden,  of  New  York.  So  the  vexed  question  was  settled, 
and  President  Hayes  was  inaugurated  (the  4th  being  Sunday) 
on  the  5th  of  March,  1877. 

NOTES. 

1.  Ulysses  S.  Grant  was  born  in  1822  at  Point  Pleasant,  Clermont  Co., 
Ohio,  and  passed  his  boyhood  in  the  neighboring  village  of  Georgetown. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  entered  West  Point,  where  he  graduated  four 
years  later  without  having  distinguished  himself,  being  twenty-first  in  a 
class  of  thirty-nine.  As  a  second  lieutenant  he  was  stationed  on  the 
frontier  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Mexican  War.  He  was  in  every 
important  battle  of  the  latter  except  that  of  Buena  Vista,  and  received 
the  warmest  praise  from  his  superior  officers  for  gallant  conduct.  He  was 
rewarded  by  brevets  on  two  occasions.  He  resigned  his  commission  as 
captain  in  1854,  and  attempted  farming  near  St.  Louis.  Not  meeting  with 
much  success,  however,  he  accepted  a  position  in  his  father's  tannery  at 
Galena,  Illinois.  Here  he  lived  in  comparative  obscurity,  and  at  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  was  entirely  unknown  to  the  public. 
When  President  Lincoln  issued  his  call  for  volunteers  Grant  organized 
and  drilled  a  company  at  Galena,  and  at  the  same  time  offered  his  ser 
vices  by  letter  to  the  Adjutant-general,  but  was  ignored.  Marching  his 
company  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  he  was  appointed  by  the  governor  to 
muster  the  state  volunteers,  and  five  weeks  later  was  made  colonel  of  a 
regiment.  He  first  reported  to  General  Pope,  in  Missouri,  and  shortly 
after,  having  been  appointed  brigadier-general  of  volunteers,  he  was 
placed  in  command  of  the  district  of  South-east  Missouri.  His  first  act  of 
importance  was  the  seizure  of  Paducah,  which  had  great  influence  in 
keeping  Kentucky  in  the  Union;  and  the  capture  of  Fort  Donelson, 
which  followed  soon  after,  gave  him  a  National  reputation  and  won  him 
his  commission  of  major-general  of  volunteers.  His  career  was  now  a 
series  of  brilliant  successes,  and  his  generalship  at  Chattanooga  is  consid 
ered  by  military  authorities  as  the  masterpiece  of  the  War.  He  has  been 
severely  criticised  tor  recklessly  sacrificing  the  lives  of  his  soldiers,  but 
without  just  cause  ;  for  although  the  battles  during  his  advance  on  Rich 
mond  we're  unusually  severe  and  costly  to  the  Union  side,  yet  Grant  felt 
that  he  was  pursuing  the  shortest  and  best  course  to  put  an  end  to  the 
horrors  of  civil  war,  and  the  result  proved  the  correctness  of  his  judg 
ment. 

Grant  was  included  in  the  plot  of  the  conspirators  who  murdered  Lin 
coln,  and  probably  escaped  death  through  declining  the  latter's  invita 
tion  to  join  the  party  at  the  theater. 

After  his  second  term  as  President  had  expired,  he  made  a  tour  of  the 
globe,  and  no  individual  in  the  world's  history  ever  received  such  a  con 
tinuous  series  of  ovations.  The  crowned  heads  of  Europe  vied  with  the 
common  people  in  paying  him  marked  attention,  and  his  reception  on 
his  return  home  by  the  country  at  large  was  no  less  enthusiastic. 
U.  S.  H— 22. 


338 


HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


2.  Horace  Greeley  (6. 1811,  d.  1872)  was  born  at  Amherst,  New  Hamp 
shire,  and  was  a  remarkably  precocious  child.  He  could  read  when  only 
two  years  old,  and  at  the  age  of  seven  had  read  all  the  books  upon  which 
he  could  lay  his  hands  within  a  radius  of  seven  miles  from  his  father's 
farm-house.  When  Horace  was  ten  years  of  age  his  father  moved  to  Ver 
mont,  and  in  this  state  the  son  took  his  first  step  in  the  profession  of  jour 
nalism,  being  apprenticed  to  a  printer.  The  newspaper  on  which  he 
worked  as  a  compositor  was  discontinued  in  1830,  and  Greeley  went  west 
to  visit  his  parents,  who  had  in  the  meantime  removed  to  Erie  County, 
Pa.  He  worked  at  his  trade  there  for  a  short  time,  but  wages  being  very 
low  he  determined  to  go  to  New  York,  where  he  arrived  August  17th,  1831, 
with  but  ten  dollars  in  money  and  a  small  bundle  of  clothing.  After 
working  as  a  compositor  for  about  a  year  and  a  half  he  embarked  in  suc 
cessive  ventures  as  a  journalist,  but  with  poor  success  financially,  until 
finally,  April  10th,  1841,  he  issued  the  first  number  of  the  "  New  York 
Tribune,"  which  has  since  made  the  name  of  Horace  Greeley  celebrated 
throughout  the  English-speaking  world.  He  was  justly  proud  of  his  suc 
cess  in  his  chosen  profession ;  and  in  his  autobiography  says,  "  I  cherish 
the  hope  that  the  journal  I  projected  and  established  will  live  and  flourish 
long  after  I  shall  have  moldered  into  forgotten  dust,  being  guided  by  a 
larger  wisdom,  a  more  unerring  sagacity  to  discern  the  right,  though  not 
by  a  more  unfaltering  readiness  to  embrace  and  defend  it  at  whatever 
personal  cost ;  and  that  the  stone  which  covers  my  ashes  may  bear  to 
future  eyes  the  still  intelligible  inscription,  '  Founder  of  the  New  York 
Tribune.'" 

Mr.  Greeley's  peculiar  political  position,  as  well  as  his  personal  eccen 
tricities  made  him  the  butt  of  numberless  caricatures  during  the  cam 
paign  in  which  he  was  defeated,  and  in  addition  to  the  harassing  political 
strain,  he  suffered  the  private  grief  occasioned  by  his  wife's  death.  The 
result  was  an  attack  of  inflammation  of  the  brain,  winch  ended  his  life 
in  a  very  short  time.  His  funeral  was  public  and  most  impressive.  The 
body  lay  in  state  in  the  New  York  City  Hall,  and  was  visited  by  an  im 
mense  throng  of  people,  among  whom  were  the  President,  Vice-president, 
and  Chief-justice  of  the  United  States. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

TWENTY-THIRD    ADMINISTRATION,    A.    D.     1877-1881. 
Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  President.  William  A.  Wheeler,  Vice-president. 

617.  The  Nineteenth  President. — Among  President 
Hayes's1  first  measures  was  the  withdrawal  of  National  troops 
from   the   Southern   states.      Governor  Wade   Hampton,    of 
South   Carolina,   and  other  officials,   assured  him   that  their 
presence  only  promoted  irritation,  and  was  not  needed  for 
the  preservation  of  order.     The  President  desired  to  do  all 
that    the   most    generous    confidence    could    dictate   toward 
soothing  all  feelings  of  bitterness  and  establishing  peace  and 
friendship. 

618.  Civil  Service  Reform  was  the  next  object.     Ever 
since  Jackson's  administration  the  rule   had   been  that  "to 
the    victors    belong    the    spoils"    after   an    election    (§415). 
Postmasters  and  other  officials  had  been  appointed  upon  the 
recommendation  of  members  of  Congress,  not  always  with  a 
view  to 'the  fitness  of  the  candidate,  but  rather  as  payment 
for  political  services.      President  Hayes  was  pledged  to  con 
sult  the  service  of  the  public  rather  than  of  the  politicians, 
and   to  regulate  both   his   appointments  and   dismissals  by 
questions  of  personal  worth. 

619.  The    "  Grangers."-—  The    immense    power    and 
wealth  of  certain  railway  companies  had  for  several  years 
attracted  attention.     During  the  war  an  association,   called 
the  "Patrons  of  Husbandry,"  was  formed  to  protect  the  in 
terests  of   Western   farmers   against   exorbitant    charges   for 
transportation  on  the  part  of  the  railroads,  and  in  general  to 
oppose  all  oppressive  monopolies.     In  1874  there  were  twenty 

(339) 


340 


HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


July  16. 


gmia, 


thousand   "Granges,"  or  local  associations,  and  a  member 
ship  of  a  million  and  a  half. 

620.   Railway   Riots. — In  the  summer  of  1877  railway 
interests  were  threatened  in  a  less  orderly  way.      Brakemen 
and  other  train-hands  on  the  ' '  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
Railroad"    "struck"  at  Martinsburg,  in  West  Vir- 
in  consequence  of  a  reduction  in  their  wages.     The 

business  of  the  whole  road 
was  suspended.  The  ex 
ample  was  quickly  fol 
lowed  upon  other  roads. 
Buildings  and  rolling- 
stock  were  burnt;  and 
from  opposition  to  the 
companies  the  movement 
became  rebellion  against 
the  states  and  even  the 
Government  at  Washing 
ton,  which  sent  troops  to 
put  down  the  insurgents. 
621.  Pittsburgh,  in 
Pennsylvania,  was  the 
scene  of  the  greatest  vio- 


Rutherford   B.  Hayes. 

lence.  The  mob  numbered  20,000  men,  and  for  two  days 
had  entire  control  of  the  city.  100  lives  were  destroyed; 
125  locomotives  and  2,500  freight  and  express  cars  were 
burnt.  Riots  occurred  at  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  and  even  at 
San  Francisco;  but  here  it  was  not  railway  capitalists,  but 
the  employers  of  Chinese  laborers,  who  were  attacked. 

622.  Communism. — The  alarming  fact  was  that  the  lead 
ers  in  all  these  places  were  not  railway  hands,  but  restless 
' '  communists, "  who  were  traveling  from  place  to  place  ex 
citing  workmen  against  their  employers.  While  the  men 
were  "striking,"  their  families  too  often  were  starving.  The 


CHINESE  IMMIGRATION.  341 

railway  riots  were  put  down  within  a  fortnight;  but  the 
great  question  of  employers  and  employed  remained  to  tax 
the  best  energies  of  thoughtful  minds  for  many  years  to 
come. 

623.  The  Chinese  Question. — The  large  immigration 
of  Chinese  laborers  makes  the  problem  more  difficult.     They 
already  number  more  than   100,000   in   America,   of   whom 
75,000  are  in  the  state  of  California  alone.     They  cross  the 
Pacific  often  in  large  companies  under  the  direction  of  con 
tractors,  and  find  employment  in  the  mines,  in  factories,  in 
market-gardening,  and  domestic  service.     On  the  one  hand, 
fear  has  arisen  lest  the  relations  of  "coolies"  with  the  con 
tractors  may  abridge  the  personal  liberty  which  the  Govern 
ment  wishes  to  guarantee  to  every  inhabitant  of  the  country; 
on  the  other,   lest  the  habits  of  heathenism,   which  the  im 
migrants  have  brought  with  them,  may  prove  injurious  to  the 
morals  of  the  community.     It  can  not  be  said,  however,  that 
the  noisiest  opponents  of  the  Chinese  are  the  most  orderly  or 
most  Christian  part  of  the  population;  while  the  "heathen" 
very  often  set  a  worthy  example  of  quiet  industry  and  obe 
dience  to  law. 

624.  In    the    early    months  of   1879    a   bill   passed   both 
houses  of  Congress   setting   aside   part   of   the    Burlingame 
treaty  (§595),   and   putting  a  check  on  further  immigration 
from  China.      President   Hayes  vetoed  the  bill,   considering 
the  faith  of  the  United  States  pledged  to  the  fulfillment  of 
the  treaty  until  both  governments  could  agree  to  change  it. 
This  was  effected  in  September  of  the  following  year,  when 
treaties  were  made  between  the  two  governments,  giving  the 
United  States  the  right  to  limit  or  suspend  the  immigration 
of  Chinese  laborers. 

625.  What  no  one  fears  or  regrets,  is  the  presence  of  one 
hundred  and  four  Chinese  youth  in  our  academies  and  col 
leges.2    Since  the  opening  of  the  great  Asiatic  empire  to  in- 


342  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

tercourse  with  other  nations,  boys  of  good  birth  and  talents 
have  been  sent  to  be  educated  in  the  United  States  at  the 
expense  of  their  own  government.  Their  superintendent 
here  is  Yung  Wing,  a  Chinese  mandarin,  who  is  himself  a 
graduate  of  Yale  College,  and  lately  minister  of  China  at 

Washington.  The  govern 
ment  of  Japan  has  sent  not 
only  boys  to  American  col 
leges,  but  young  women  to 
fit  themselves  for  teachers 
of  girls  at  home. 

626.    Cost   and   Credit 
of    the     Government. — 

On  the  first  day  of  1879 
payments  in  gold  were  re 
sumed  by  the  Treasury  and 
the  national  banks;  and 
thus,  after  eighteen  years,  the 
disturbing  effects  of  the  Civil 
War  upon  the  currency  were 

James  A.  Garfield.  ,     ,  „.  jr.. 

ended.        The    war    debt, 

though  diminished  by  over  nine  hundred  millions  of  dollars 
since  1866,  still  occasions  by  far  the  greatest  item  of  public 
expense.  The  cost  of  the  Government,  as  such,  /.  e.,  of  the 
civil  service,  army,  and  navy,  is  comparatively  small,  and  is 
met  by  duties  on  foreign  goods.  The  interest  and  sinking 
fund  of  the  public  debt  are  provided  for  by  the  internal  rev 
enue,  which  is  levied  mainly  on  tobacco,  whisky,  and  malt 
liquors.  All  surplus  revenue,  from  whatever  source,  is  de 
voted  to  the  reduction  of  the  National  debt. 

627.  The  four  years'  term  of  Mr.  Hayes  was  chiefly  re 
markable  as  a  period  of  peace  and  prosperity.  Bounteous 
harvests  supplied  an  enormous  export  of  grain  to  European 
markets.  Immigrants  arrived  at  our  ports  in  greater  num- 


NOTES. 


343 


bers  than  ever  before,  and  an  unusual  proportion  of  these 
were  industrious  people,  who  were  likely  to  be  an  advantage 
rather  than  a  burden  to  the  country.  The  census  taken  in 
June,  1880,  showed  the  population  of  the  United  States  to 
be  more  than  fifty  millions. 

The  election  in  the  following  November  resulted  in  the 
choice  of  James  A.  Garfield?  of  Ohio,  to  be  the  twentieth 
President  of  the  United  States,  and  of  Chester  A.  Arthur, 
of  New  York,  to  be  Vice-president.  The  Democratic  candi 
date  for  the  Presidency  was  Winfield  S.  Hancock,  U.  S.  A. 

628.  Never  did  an  administration  begin  with  brighter  pros 
pects.  The  nation  was  at 
peace,  and  with  the  return 
of  prosperity,  the  bitterness 
that  had  sprung  from  civil 
conflict,  had  passed  away. 
President  G  a  r  fi  e  1  d  repre 
sented  all  that  is  best  in 
American  life, — not  only  in 
the  self-reliant  virtues  that 
had  raised  him  from  poverty 
to  the  highest  position  in 
the  land,  but  also  in  the  in 
tellectual  zeal  and  diligence 
that  had  made  him  the 
' '  most  scholarly  of  all  our 

statesmen,"  and  the  genial  goodness  and  sincerity  which  won 
the  confidence  even  of  his  political  opponents.  He  com 
menced  his  presidential  work  as  thoroughly  as  he  had  done 
every  thing  else, — determined  to  appoint  only  honest  and 
competent  public  servants,  and  to  remove  none  except  for 
sufficient  cause.  After  four  busy  months,  he  was  just  quit 
ting  Washington  to  attend  the  Commencement  at  Williams 
College,  when  a  shot  from  a  vile  assassin  ended  his  active 
career,  and  thrilled  the  whole  nation  with  grief  and  horror. 


Chester  A.  Arthur. 


344  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Still  there  was  an  eighty  days'  struggle  for  life,  bravely  and 
patiently  sustained ;  but  on  the  evening  of  the  nineteenth  of 
September,  he  died  at  Long  Branch  in  New  Jersey.  Prob 
ably  no  ruler  ever  gained  such  universal  sympathy.  In  En 
gland  and  France  it  was  especially  marked.  On  the  day  of 
the  funeral,  the  people  of  these  countries  voluntarily  closed 
their  places  of  business,  and  draped  their  houses  in  mourn 
ing.  A  bond  of  common  sorrow  seemed  to  unite  more 
closely  all  the  civilized  nations  of  the  world. 

Vice-president  Arthur3  took  the  oath  of  the  chief  magistracy, 
first  in  his  own  house  in  the  city  of  New  York,  on  the 
night  of  Mr.  Garfield's  death,  and  on  the  2ist  of  Sep 
tember  in  the  Capitol  at  Washington,  in  the  presence  of  the 
Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court.  He  thus  became  the  twenty- 
first  President  of  the  United  States. 


NOTES. 

1.  Rutherford  Birchard  Hayes  was  born  at  Delaware,  Ohio,  in  1822. 
He  graduated  atKenyon  College,  in  that  state,  and,  after  taking  his  degree 
at  the  Harvard  Law  School,  commenced  the  practice  of  law  at  Fremont, 
Ohio.    In  1849  he  moved  to  Cincinnati,  and  soon  established  a  flourishing 
practice.    He  was  made  major  of  the  Twenty-third  Ohio  Volunteers  in 
1861,  and  served  throughout  the  war.    He  was  badly  wounded  at  South 
Mountain  (g  525),  and  shortly  after  was  promoted  to  a  colonelcy.    Gallant 
service  in  many  of  the  hardest  battles  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was 
rewarded  by  successive  advances  in  rank,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war 
Hayes  was  a  brevet  major-general.    After  the  battle  of  Cedar  Creek  (g  553), 
in  which  he  took  part,  Hayes  was  iiotified  of  his  election  to  Congress  from 
the  second  district  of  Ohio.    He  resigned  from  the  army  in  June,  1865,  and 
the  following  December  took  his  seat  in  Congress.    He  was  re-elected  in 
1866,  but  resigned  his  seat  to  accept  the  governorship  of  Ohio :  the  latter 
office  was  held  for  two  successive  terms,  when  he  again  became  a  candi 
date  for  Congress  and  was  defeated.    In  1875  he  received  an  unprecedented 
honor  in  his  native  state,  being  elected  governor  for  the  third  time.    His 
popularity  in  Ohio,  and  the  stand  taken  by  him  on  the  issues  at  stake  in 
his  last  contest  for  the  governorship,  brought  him  prominently  before  the 
country,  and  resulted  in  his  nomination  for  the  presidency  in  1876. 

2.  Since  the  above  was  written,  the  Emperor  of  China  has  recalled  the 
Chinese  students  from  American  colleges.    This  change  of  policy  is  ow 
ing,  it  is  said,  to  the  representation  of  one  of  his  ministers,  who  has  vis 
ited  this  country  and  reported  that  the  youth  were  renouncing  the  religion 
and  customs  of  their  ancestors;  it  may  have  been  influenced,  however,  in 
some  degree  by  the  Anti-Chinese  agitations  in  some  of  our  states. 

An  act  of  Congress,  approved  by  the  President  in  1882,  prohibited  the 
ingress  of  Chinese  laborers  for  the  period  of  ten  years. 

3.  James  Abram  Garfield  was  of  New  England  descent,  and  was  born 
in  Cuyahoga  County,  Ohio,  in  1831.    His  father  died  when  James  was  but 


NOTES. 


345 


two  years  of  age,  leaving  his  widow  with  four  small  children  to  struggle 
for  life  in  the  backwoods.  James  received  a  meager  education,  and  at  the 
age  of  twelve  began  to  aid  in  supporting  the  family,— first  as  a  carpenter, 
then  as  a  book-keeper,  and  afterwards  as  a  boatman  on  the  canal.  Aban 
doning  the  last  occupation  on  account  of  illness,  his  ambition  fora  higher 
education  became  aroused,  and  he  secured  it  in  the  face  of  many  obstacles. 
He  was  so  poor  that  he  was  compelled  to  work  in  the  mornings  and  even 
ings  and  Saturdays  to  help  pay  his  tuition.  At  the  age  of  18,  he  began  to 
teach  in  the  district  schools.  In  1851,  he  became  a  student  of  the  Western 
Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  Hiram,  Ohio,  the  institution  that,  in  1867,  be 
came,  and  has  since  been  known  as,  Hiram  College.  In  Hiram,  he  fitted 
for  the  Junior  year  of  Williams  College,  where  he  graduated  with  high 
honors  in  1856.  He  had  served  two  years  as  a  subordinate  teacher  at 
Hiram  before  going  to  college.  On  his  graduation,  he  returned  to  that 
institution  as  a  teacher.  In  1857,  he  became  Principal  of  the  Eclectic  In 
stitute.  In  1859,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  and  while  serving  as 
senator  at  Columbus  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  left  his  post  at  Hiram 
in  the  fall  of  1861  to  enter  the  army  as  colonel  of  an  Ohio  regiment.  After 
the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  in  1863,  he  was  made  a  major-general.  In  1862, 
he  was  elected  to  the  National  House  of  Representatives;  and,  on  the  con 
vening  of  the  38th  Congress,  he  resigned  his  major-general's  commission, 
and  took  his  seat  in  that  body.  He  was  re-elected  to  the  successive  Houses 
until  January,  1880,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  National  Senate.  In  June 
of  that  year,  he  became  the  candidate  of  the  Republican  party  for  the 
presidency;  and,  in  November  following,  he  was  elected  to  that  high 
office.  His  political  life  was  one  of  constant  labor  and  study,  and  few 
politicians  have  developed  such  breadth  of  thought  and  soundness  of 
judgment. 

4.  Chester  Alan  Arthur  was  born  at  Fairfield,  Vermont,  October  5, 
1830,  the  son  of  a  learned  Irish  clergyman.  He  entered  Union  College 
Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  when  only  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  so  thorough  was 
his  preparation,  and  so  diligent  his  study,  that  he  took  the  highest  honors 
of  every  year,  although  he  was,  part  of  the  time,  meeting  his  own  expenses 
by  teaching.  Graduating  in  1848,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  at 
Ballston  Springs,  N.  Y.,  and  continued  it  at  Lansingburgh.  In  1851,  he 
became  principal  of  an  academy  at  Pownal,  Vt.,  but  while  fitting  students 
for  college  still  continued  his  law  studies.  In  1853  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and  soon  engaged  in  the  contest  against 
slaveholding  interests  which  then  agitated  the  nation.  He  became  known 
among  the  "  practical  men  "  in  city  politics  by  attending  primary  meet 
ings  and  keeping  watch  over  the  polls  at  elections. 

Mr.  Arthur  was  a  member  of  the  Convention  at  Saratoga  in  1856,  which 
organized  the  Republican  Party,  and  subsequently  became  Engineer-in- 
Chief  on  the  staff  of  Governor  Morgan.  He  had  previously  been  much 
interested  in  the  organization  of  the  State-militia,  and  in  1861,  was  ad 
vanced  to  the  important  post  of  Quartermaster-General.  The  quota  of 
the  state  of  New  York  under  one  call  in  1862  amounted  to  sixty  regiments 
or  59,705  men.  In  raising  and  providing  for  these  recruits,  Gen.  Arthur 
proved  his  great  energy  and  talent  for  organization.  His  duties  ended 
with  the  inauguration  of  a  Democratic  Governor,  and  he  returned  in  1864 
to  his  law  practice,  which  he  continued  nearly  eight  years. 

In  November,  1871,  he  was  appointed  by  President  Grant,  to  be  Collector 
of  the  Port  of  New  York,— one  of  the  most  lucrative  offices  in  the  gift  of  the 
government,  which  he  held  until  1878.  In  1879  he  was  elected  chairman 
of  the  Republican  State  Committee  of  New  York,  and  had  much  to  do 
with  the  success  of  the  campaign.  In  June  of  1880,  he  was  nominated  for 
Vice-president  by  the  Republican  Convention  at  Chicago,  was  elected  in 
November,  and  entered  upon  his  office  on  the  fourth  of  March,  1881. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

PROGRESS    OF   THE    REPUBLIC. 


Smithsonian  Institution. 

629.  Territory  and  Population. — In  little  more  than  a 
century  the  United  States  has  grown,  from  a  line  of  scat 
tered  colonies  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  to  a  continental  power 
bordering  two  oceans  and  covering  more  than  three  and  a 
half  millions  of  square  miles.  The  summer  sun  never  sets 
(346) 


PUBLIC  IMPROVEMENTS.  347 


upon  its  whole  extent,  for  a  new  day  dawns  upon  the 
forests  of  Maine  before  its  predecessor  has  quitted  the  west 
ernmost  island  of  Alaska.  The  population  has  multiplied  in 
the  same  time  from  less  than  three  to  over  fifty  millions. 
About  one  half  of  the  whole  territory,  including  Alaska 
(§594),  is  still  public  land,  at  the  disposal  of  Congress  and 
the  President.  This  includes,  of  course,  the  least  valuable 
portions  of  the  country  west  of  the  Mississippi  (§15);  but 
there  are  yet  unoccupied  fertile  lands  capable  of  maintain 
ing  hundreds  of  millions  of  human  beings. 

630.  Railroads  and  Telegraphs. — Fifty  years  ago 
there  were  twenty-three  miles  of  railroad  in  the  United 
States;  now  there  are  more  than  100,000  miles.  The  mag 
netic  telegraph  was  then  unknown;  now  telegraphic  lines 
measure  over  150,000  miles,  and  use  wire  enough  to  go 
fifteen  times  around  the  globe.  These  two  items  give  but  a 
slight  hint  of  the  improved  means  of  traffic  and  communi 
cation.  The  fatigue  and  danger  in  traveling  enormous  dis 
tances  have  been  reduced  almost  to  nothing,  and  the  cost 
of  freight  has  been  similarly  lessened. 

The  telegraph  itself  is  replaced  in  some  instances  by  the 
telephone,  which  transmits  the  spoken  words  instead  of 
mere  conventional  signals.  By  its  means  a  famous  speaker 
or  singer  can  be  heard  scores  of  miles  away — while  its  value 
in  business  is  beyond  calculation. 

631.  Immigration. — The  rapid  extension  of  public 
works  has  been  owing  in  great  measure  to  immigrations  from 
Europe.  By  reason  of  their  fortunate  position,  with  but 
few  neighbors,  the  United  States  have  been  comparatively 
free  from  the  wastes  and  burdens  of  war  which  afflict  most 
of  the  European  nations.  Instead  of  spending  some  of  the 
best  years  of  their  lives  in  camps  and  barracks,  men  are  at 
liberty  to  provide  comforts  for  themselves  and  their  families. 
This  and  other  causes  have  led  to  a  constant  stream  of  im 
migration  across  the  Atlantic  ever  since  the  end  of  our  War 


348 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


of  1812.  Many  of  the  new-comers  were  skilled  mechanics, 
and  brought  money  enough  to  establish  themselves  well  in 
their  chosen  country.  Others  could  at  least  dig  canals, 
grade  railway-beds,  and  earn  for  their  children  better  oppor 
tunities  than  they  themselves  had  enjoyed.  Even  during 
our  Civil  War  the  high  prices  of  labor  drew  larger  numbers 
to  America  than  ever  had  come  in  the  same  period  before. 
In  the  ten  years,  A.  D.  1860-1870,  nearly  four  and  one  half 

millions  of  European  immi 
grants  entered  the  Northern 
ports. 

632.  Beside  all  the  in 
dustrial  advantages  thus  de 
rived  from  the  Old  World, 
it  ought  not  to  be  forgotten 
that  some  of  the  best  brains 
of  Europe, — either  exiled 
by  political  troubles  or  de 
siring  peace  and  freedom 
for  the  better  prosecution  of 
science, — have  made  Amer 
ica  their  home.  Among  the 
latter  class  was  Professor 
Louis  Agassiz,  the  Swiss 

savant,  who  knew  more  about  fishes  than  almost  any  other 
man  living,  and  whose  death,  in  1873,  was  mourned  in  two 
hemispheres.  Among  the  former  were  Doctor  Francis  Lie- 
ber,  of  Columbia  College,  New  York;  Carl  Schurz;  and 
many  others. 

633.  Manufactures. — American  cotton  mills  and  the 
full  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution  date  from  the  same 
year.  In  1789  Samuel  Slater,  a  pupil  of  Arkwright  (§348), 
came  to  this  country  and  established  the  first  mill  for  spin 
ning  cotton  yarn,  at  Pawtucket,  in  Rhode  Island.  England 
did  not  then  allow  the  export  of  machinery,  nor  even  of 


MANUFACTURES  AND  INVENTIONS.  349 

plans,  so  that  Slater  had  to  set  up  his  wheels  and  spindles 
chiefly  from  memory  and  with  his  own  hands.  His  "Old 
Mill"  still  exists. 

In  1812  Francis  Lowell,  in  like  manner,  partly  invented 
and  set  up  a  power-loom  at  Waltham,  in  Massachusetts. 
He  carried  on  all  the  processes  which  convert  raw  cotton 
into  finished  cloth,  in  one  establishment, — the  first  of  its  kind 
in  the  world.  The  cotton  manufacture  has  grown  from  those 
humble  beginnings  until  it  employs  100,000  persons  in  1,074 
factories;  and  many  flourishing  cities,  like  Lowell  and  Law 
rence,  Fall  River,  Manchester,  and  Little  Falls,  owe  their 
wealth  to  this  important  industry. 

634.  Paper-making   has   advanced  equally  in  amount 
and  far  more  in  quality.     If   we   compare   the   Continental 
paper-money  with   the   National   bank-note  currency  of  the 
present  day,  we  shall  see  progress  both  in  the  manufacture 
of  material  and  in  the  art  of  engraving.     Millions  of  bales  of 
rags  are  imported  every  year  to  the  paper  factories  of  Mas 
sachusetts,  and  fine  note-paper  is  sent  to  Europe  in  return. 
Many  new  materials,   such  as  wood-fiber,   straw,  jute,   and 
manilla  are  used  as  well  as  rags. 

635.  Vulcanized   India  Rubber. — Among  the  inven 
tions  which  have  wrought  the  greatest  changes  is  that  of 
vulcanized  India  Rubber.     Mr.  Charles  Goodyear  found,  in 
1839,  that  by  mixing  the  native  gum  with  sulphur  and  white 
lead,    it    became    practically   an   elastic   metal  of   wonderful 
tenacity.     It   serves   numberless    purposes,    such   as   belting 
and  hose  for  machinery,  springs  and  wheels  for  cars,  pave 
ments,  coating  of  telegraphic  wires,  etc.     Combined  with  tar 
and  sulphur,  the  same  gum  affords  material  for  jewelry  and 
many  small  articles,  being  as  black  and  lustrous  as  jet. 

636.  The  sewing  machine  is  due  mainly  to  the  perse 
verance  of  an  American,  Elias  Howe,  Jr.,  who  in   1846  re 
ceived  a  patent  for  the  first  really  successful  instrument  of 


35°  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 

the  kind.  Singer,  Wilson,  Grover  and  many  others  have  in 
vented  improvements;  but  of  the  millions  of  machines  man 
ufactured  in  the  United  States,  every  one  has  been  indebted 
to  Howe  for  some  essential  feature.  Germany  and  Russia, 
as  well  as  many  other  countries,  use  American  sewing  ma 
chines. 

637.  The  inventive  genius  which  the  subduing  of  a  great, 
wild  continent  first  called  into  action,  has  been  only  height 
ened  by   prosperity.     The  soil   of   South  Africa,   Australia, 
and  Japan   is   turned   by    American   plows,    and   their  har 
vests  are  gathered  by  American  mowers  and  reapers;  fires 
in  European  cities  are  extinguished  by  American  steam  fire- 
engines;  American  palace-cars  roll  over  European  railways; 
and  American  steam-boats  ply  on  the  Rhine,  the  Danube, 
and  the  Bosporus.      Great   London  newspapers  are  printed 
on  the   type-revolving  press  invented  by   Richard   Hoe  of 
New  York.     The  development  of  the  great  mineral  wealth 
of  the  Pacific  states  has  called  for  new  implements  and  ma 
chinery  for  mining.     The  most  important  is  the  Stetefeldt 
Furnace   for   reducing   silver   ore,    which   was   invented    at 
Austin,  Nevada,  in  1867. 

638.  Illumination. — In  countless  other  inventions  Amer 
ica  only  shares  the  general  progress  of  the  age.     The  streets 
of  cities,  which  half  a  century  ago  were  made  passable  at 
night  only  by  the  glimmer  of  whale-oil  lamps,   now  blaze 
with  gas;    and   if  present   prospects  be  fulfilled,   night  will 
soon  rival  day  by  means  of  electric  lights. 

The  mail  service  is  a  wonder  of  cheapness  and  celerity.  A 
postal  card  can  be  sent  from  Maine  to  Oregon  for  one  cent, 
a  newspaper  for  two,  and  a  letter  for  three  cents. 

639.  The  Weather  Department  at  Washington,  es 
tablished  in   1870,  gives  notice  in  advance  of  the  approach 
of  storms,  the  rise  and  fall  of  rivers,  and  all  aerial  changes, 
by  means  of  its  telegraphic  communications  with  all  parts  of 


EDUCATIONAL  ADVANTAGES.  351 

the  United  States,  and  with  more  than  a  dozen  stations  in 
distant  parts  of  the  globe.  Nine  tenths  of  its  predictions 
have  proved  true.  Lives  and  property  have  been  saved  by 
these  timely  warnings;  and  the  science  of  meteorology,  on 
which  so  many  interests  depend,  has  been  studied  more 
thoroughly  than  could  ever  be  done  by  a  smaller  scale  of 
observations. 

640.  Education. — The  same  zeal  for  knowledge  which 
moved  the  first  colonists  in  their  poverty  to  establish  schools 
for  their  children,  has  occasioned  munificent  endowments  in 
our  times  for  institutions  of  learning.  Instead  of  the  seven 
colleges  of  Revolutionary  days,  we  have  three  hundred  and 
sixty-six  colleges  and  universities,  though  Harvard,  Yale,  and 
their  venerable  contemporaries,  have  never  lost  their  high 
rank,  but  have  been  enriched  by  new  and  generous  endow 
ments.  The  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor  is  pre 
eminent  among  younger  institutions,  not  only  in  its  number 
of  students,  but  in  the  liberal  policy  which  has  controlled  it 
from  the  beginning.  Young  women  are  admitted  to  all  its 
lectures  and  examinations.  Harvard,  also,  bestows  degrees 
upon  women  who  pass  examinations  equivalent  to  those  of 
regular  students.  For  the  higher  education  of  women  exclu 
sively,  Vassar,  Wellesley,  and  Smith  colleges,  and  many 
others  have  been  endowed  by  private  munificence.  Cornell 
University,  at  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  is  open  equally  to  young  men 
and  women.  It  is  so  liberally  endowed  by  the  state  and  gen 
eral  governments,  by  Ezra  Cornell,  whose  name  it  bears,  and 
by  others,  that  it  places  the  means  of  the  highest  education 
within  the  reach  of  rich  and  poor  alike. 

641.  The  Peabody  Fund. — The  grandest  endowment 
ever  made  for  purposes  of  education  was  that  of  George 
Peabody,  for  many  years  banker  in  London,  but  a  native  of 
Massachusetts.  His  gifts  for  schools,  colleges,  libraries,  and 
museums  in  the  United  States  amounted  to  more  than  five 
and  a  quarter  millions  of  dollars.  More  than  three  millions 


352  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


went  for  the  support  and  encouragement  of  common  schools 
in  the  Southern  states,  which,  owing  to  scattered  population 
and  other  causes,  had  not  yet  organized  their  plans  for  ele 
mentary  education. 

642.  Public  Schools. — Now  there  is  not  a  state  nor  an 
organized    territory   without   its    system   of    public   schools. 
More  than  eight  millions  of  children  are  named  on  the  roll- 
books  of  these  schools,  and  the  yearly  cost  of  their  educa 
tion  is  not   less  than  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars.     In 
eleven  states  attendance  at  school  is  required  by  law;  for  if 
even  parents  are  neglectful,  the  state  can  not  afford  to  have 
ignorant  voters  growing  up.      Beside   the  common  schools, 
there  are  high  schools,   academies,   normal   schools   for   the 
training  of  teachers,  scientific  and  professional  schools,  and 
special  institutions  for  the  blind,  the  mute,  and  the  feeble 
minded. 

643.  American   literature   has  shared  and  aided  the 
general    progress.      Among    essayists,     Emerson,    Whipple, 
Dana,  and  Stedman;    among  historians,   Bancroft,   Prescott, 
Irving,  Kirk,  Motley,  and  Parkman;  among  poets,   Bryant, 
Longfellow,  Whittier,  Lowell,  and  Aldrich;  among  novelists, 
Cooper,   Hawthorne,  and   Mrs.   Stowe,   are  known  and  ad 
mired  beyond  the  limits  of  their  own  country.     Besides,  we 
have  had  men  of  both  thought  and  action,  who  have  told 
the  story  of  their  own  great  deeds.     Doctor  Kane's  record 
of  winters  passed  in  the  icy  regions  of  the  arctic  zone,  and 
Stanley's  story  of  exploration  in  Central  Africa  are  brilliant 
additions  to  the  literature  of  voyages  and  travels. 

644.  Advancement  of  Science.— Americans  have  con 
tributed  their  full  share  to  the  advancement  of  science;  and 
the  Government  has  been  ever  ready,   by  liberal  grants  in 
aid  of  voyages  and  researches,   to  further  the   general   en 
lightenment.      The  Smithsonian  Institution  uses  for  the  same 


THE   WAY  TO  SUCCESS.  353 

ends  the  income  derived  from  the  bequest  of  James  Smith- 
son,  a  son  of  the  English  Duke  of  Northumberland.  Dying 
at  Genoa,  in  1829,  this  gentleman— though  he  had  never 
been  in  America — bequeathed  his  whole  fortune  to  the  Gov 
ernment  of  the  United  States,  to  found  at  Washington  an 
institution  "for  the  increase  and  diffusion  of  knowledge 
among  men."  The  Institution  began  its  work  in  1846  with 
a  yearly  income  of  $40,000. 

645.  If  in  a  general  review  of  the  rapid  progress,  vast 
extent,  and  present  prosperity  of  our  country,  we  are  tempted 
to  a  moment's  pride,  we  must  recollect  that  duties  grow  with 
opportunities.  Our  forefathers  left  the  comforts  of  home- 
in  some  cases  rank  and  luxury— in  Europe,  that  they  might 
found  new  states  on  the  broad  foundation  of  equal  rights  to 
all.  Their  sons  may  expect  just  as  much  honor  and  wealth 
as  their  strong,  industrious  hands,  alert  and  well-stored 
brains,  and  sterling  characters  can  win, — no  more.  In 
America,  more  than  in  any  other  country  on  the  globe,  suc 
cess  depends  on  personal  qualities.  Though  fraud  and  pre 
tense  may  now  and  then  gain  a  transient  advantage,  there 
is  only  one  sure  road  to  high  and  permanent  distinction, 
and  that  is — substantial  worth. 


CJ,  S.  H.-23. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW.— PART  VI. 


Section 

1.  What  differences  of  policy  between  Congress  and 

President  Johnson  ?  589,  590 

2.  What  amendments  were  made  in  the  Constitution 

of  the  United  States?  561,  591,  598 

3.  Describe  the  failures  and  final  success  of  the  trans 

atlantic  telegraph.  592,  593 

4.  What  states  and  territories  were  organized  between 

1860  and  1870?  492,  573,  594 

5.  Describe  our  affairs  with  China  since  1868.  595,  623-625 

6.  What  important  railroad  was  completed  in  1869?  597 

7.  What  settlements  have  been  made  with  England  ?  599-601 

8.  What  great  conflagrations  in  1871  and  1872?  602,  603 

9.  What  is  said  of  Horace  Greeley  ?  604 

10.  Describe    President    Grant's    policy    toward    and 

dealings  with  the  Indians.  605,  606,  614 

11.  What  changes  in  money  matters  during  his  terms?  607-611 

12.  How  was  the  Centennial  celebrated  ?  612,  613 

13.  Describe  the  election  of  1876  and  its  result.  615,  616 

14.  Describe  the  policy  of  President  Hayes.  617,  618 

15.  Who  were  the  "Grangers"?  619 

16.  Describe  the  labor  riots  of  1877.  20-622 

17.  What  are  the  chief  items  of  public  income  and 

expenditure  ?  626 

18.  Who  was  elected  President  in  1880?  627 

19.  What  progress  during  a  hundred  years  in  extent, 

population,  and  means  of  intercourse  ?  628,  629 

20.  What  has  occasioned  immigration  to  America?  630,  631 

21.  Describe  the  progress  of  manufactures.  632,  633 

22.  Name  some  important  inventions.  634-637 

23.  What  has  been  done  for  education  ?  639-641 

24.  What  for  science  ?  638,  643 

25.  Name  some  of  the  chief  American  authors.  642 

(354) 


APPENDIX. 


(355) 


Eclectic  U.S.  History  Map  No.  ftChapaXX-XXVIII  32° 


Longitude  W< 


SKETCH  SHOWING  THE  , 

ISITION  AND  DISTRIBUTION 

OF  i 

TERRITORY. 

By  Bussell  Hinman.C.E. 


TRANSFERS    OF    TERRITORY 


IN 


THE  UNITED  STATES. 

(Numerals  Refer  to  Map  No.  9.) 


1  and  2.— Part  of  original  state  of  Massachusetts  erected  into  state  of 
Maine,  1820. 

3.— Part  of  public  land  of  the  United  States. 

4.— One  of  original  thirteen  states. 

5.— Formed  into  state  of  Vermont  in  1791  out  of  the  state  of  New  York. 

6.— One  of  original  thirteen  states ;  included  1  and  2,  and  extended  west 
to  the  Mississippi  River. 

7. — One  of  original  thirteen  states. 

8.— One  of  original  thirteen  states ;  originally  extended  west  to  the  Mis 
sissippi  River. 

9. — One  of  original  thirteen  states;  originally  including  5;  a  claim  of 
Massachusetts  to  portion  of  territory  of  southern  New  York  was  settled 
in  1786  by  a  convention  at  Hartford. 

10. — One  of  original  thirteen  states. 

11.— One  of  original  thirteen  states ;  in  1792,  89  added. 

12.— One  of  original  thirteen  states. 

13. — One  of  original  thirteen  states ;  originally  embraced  13  and  14. 

14.— Ceded  to  the  United  States  for  a  capital  city  by  Maryland  in  1790. 

15.— Ceded  to  the  United  States  for  a  capital  city  by  Virginia  in  1790;  re- 
troceded  to  Virginia  by  United  States  in  1846. 

16.— One  of  original  thirteen  states ;  originally  embraced  15, 16, 17, 18, 31, 
54,  and  55. 

17.— Formed  into  state  of  West  Virginia  out  of  Virginia  in  1863. 

18.— Formed  into  state  of  Kentucky,  1792,  out  of  Virginia. 

19. — One  of  original  thirteen  states ;  originally  embraced  19  and  20. 

20.— Ceded  to  United  States  by  North  Carolina  in  1790,  and  with  23, 24,  and 
28  erected  into  the  Territory  south  of  the  Ohio  River ;  admitted  as  state, 
1796. 

21.— One  of  original  thirteen  states ;  originally  comprised  21, 23, 24,  and  28. 

22.— One  of  original  thirteen  states ;  originally  comprised  22,  25,  26,  27, 
and  29. 

23.— Ceded  by  South  Carolina  to  United  States  in  1787 ;  in  1790  transferred 
to  Territory  south  of  Ohio  River  (23. 24,  28,  and  20) ;  in  1802  ceded  to  Georgia. 

24.— Ceded  by  South  Carolina  to  United  States  in  1787 ;  in  1790  transferred 
to  Territory  south  of  Ohio  River ;  in  1804  to  Mississippi  territory ;  in  1817  to 
Alabama  territory,  and  in  1819  to  state  of  Alabama. 

25.— Ceded  by  Georgia  to  United  States,  1802 ;  transferred  to  Mississippi 
territory,  1804 ;  to  Alabama  territory,  1817 ;  and  to  state  of  Alabama,  1819. 

26.— Erected,  with  27,  into  Mississippi  territory,  1798,  subject  to  Georgia's 
claims,  which  were  ceded  to  the  United  States,  1802 ;  to  Alabama  territory 
1817  ;  to  state  of  Alabama,  1819. 

27.— Same  as  26  until  1817,  when  erected  into  state  of  Mississippi. 

28.— Ceded  to  United  States  by  South  Carolina,  1787 ;  erected  into  Terri 
tory  south  of  Ohio  River,  1790 ;  transferred  to  Mississippi  territory,  1804 : 
and  to  state  of  Mississippi,  1817. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


29.— Ceded  to  United  States  by  Georgia,  1802 ;  transferred  to  Mississippi 
territory,  1804 ;  and  to  state  of  Mississippi,  1817. 

30.— Ceded  to  United  States  by  France.  1803 ;  transferred  to  Mississippi 
territory,  1812 ;  and  to  state  of  Mississippi,  1817. 

31.— Ceded  to  United  States  by  France,  1803;  transferred  to  Mississippi 
territory.  1812;  to  Alabama  territory,  1817;  state  of  Alabama,  1819. 

32.— Ceded  to  United  States  by  Spain,  1819 ;  erected  into  Florida  territory, 
1822 ;  into  state  of  Florida,  1845. 

33.— Ceded  to  United  States  by  France,  1803;  transferred  to  state  of 
Louisiana,  1812. 

34.— Ceded  to  United  States  by  France,  1803;  erected  into  territory  of 
Orleans,  1804 ;  admitted  as  state  of  Louisiana,  1812. 

35.*— Ceded  to  United  States  by  France,  1803 ;  included  in  district  Louis 
iana  in  1804;  in  territory  Louisiana,  1805;  in  territory  Missouri,  1812; 
erected  into  Arkansas  territory,  1819 ;  admitted  as  state  of  Arkansas,  1836. 

36.— Admitted  as  state  of  Missouri,  1821. 

37.— Added  to  state  of  Missouri,  1836. 

38.— Annexed  to  territory  of  Michigan,  1834 ;  to  territory  Wisconsin,  1836 ; 
to  territory  Iowa,  1838;  admitted  as  part  of  state  of  Iowa,  1846. 

39.— Same  as  above  to  and  including  admission  to  territory  Iowa ;  trans 
ferred  to  state  of  Iowa,  1846. 

40.— Same  as  39 ;  transferred  from  state  to  territory  Iowa,  1846 ;  to  terri 
tory  Minnesota,  1849 ;  to  state  Minnesota.  1858. 

41.— Annexed  to  territory  Michigan,  1834;  territory  Wisconsin,  1836;  ter- 
tory  Iowa,  1838;  territory  Minnesota,  1849;  state  Minnesota,  1858. 

42.— As  above,  to  and  including  territory  Minnesota,  1849 ;  included  in 
territory  Dakota,  1861. 

43.— Transferred  from  territory  Missouri  to  territory  Nebraska,  1854 ;  to 
territory  Dakota,  1861. 

44.— Ceded  by  Great  Britain,  1783  ;  included  in  territory  north-west  Ohio 
River,  1787 ;  to  territory  Indiana,  1800 ;  to  territory  Illinois,  1809 ;  to  terri 
tory  Michigan.  1818 ;  to  territory  Wisconsin,  1836 ;  to  territory  Minnesota, 
1849;  to  state  Minnesota,  1858. 

45.— As  above,  to  and  including  territory  Wisconsin,  1836 ;  admitted  as 
state  Wisconsin  1848. 

46.— As  44,  to  and  including  territory  Michigan,  1818 ;  to  state  Michigan, 
1837. 

47.— Ceded  by  Great  Britain,  1783;  territory  north-west  Ohio  River,  1787; 
territory  Indiana,  1800 ;  territory  Michigan,  1818;  territory  Wisconsin,  183(5; 
state  Wisconsin,  1848. 

48.— Ceded  by  Great  Britain,  1783 ;  transferred  to  Territory  north-west  Ohio 
River,  1787;  territory  Indiana,  1800;  territory  Michigan,  1818;  state  Mich 
igan,  1837. 

49.— Ceded  by  Great  Britain,  1783;  transferred  to  Territory  north-west 
Ohio  River,  1787;  territory  Indiana,  1800;  territory  Michigan,  1805;  state 
Michigan,  1837. 

50.— Ceded  by  Great  Britain;  transferred  to  Territory  north-west  Ohio 
River,  1787;  territory  Indiana,  1802;  territory  Michigan,  1805;  state  Mich 
igan,  1837. 

51.— Ceded  by  Great  Britain,  1783;  transferred  to  Territory  north-west 
Ohio  River,  1787;  to  territory  Michigan,  1805;  to  state  Ohio,  1836. 

52.— Ceded  by  Great  Britain,  1783;  transferred  to  Territory  north-west 
Ohio  River,  1787 ;  territory  Indiana,  1800 ;  territory  Michigan,  1805 ;  to  state 
Indiana,  1816. 

53.— North  of  41st  parallel  ceded  by  Great  Britain,  1783;  south  of  same 
by  Virginia,  1784  ;  territory  north-west  Ohio  River,  1787  ;  admitted  as  state 
Ohio,  1803. 

54.— North  of  41st  parallel  ceded  by  Great  Britain,  1783;  south  of  same  by 
Virginia,  1784 ;  Territory  north-west  Ohio  River,  1787 ;  territory  Indiana, 
1800 ;  state  Indiana,  1816. 

55.— North  of  41st  parallel  ceded  by  Great  Britain,  1783;  south  of  same  by 


*A11  of  the  French  cession  west  of  the  Mississippi  River  (except  34)  was  ceded  to  the 
United  States  as  the  "Province  of  Louisiana"  in  1803;  erected  into  district  of  Louisiana, 
1804;  into  territory  of  Louisiana,  1805;  into  territory  of  Missouri,  1812.  The  subsequent 
descriptions  of  territory  within  the  French  cession  will  he  carried  on  from  this  point,— 
and  a  repetition  of  these  changes  common  to  all,  avoided. 


TRANSFERS  OF  TERRITORY.  in 


Virginia,  1784 ;  Territory  north-west  Ohio  River,  1787 ;  territory  Indiana, 
1800 ;  territory  Illinois,  1809 ;  state  Illinois,  1818. 

56.— Territory  Nebraska.  1854 ;  state  Nebraska,  1867. 

57.— Territory  Kansas,  1854 ;  state  Kansas,  1861. 

58.— Ceded  by  Texas,  1850;  transferred  to  territory  Kansas,  1854;  to  state 
Kansas,  1861. 

59.— Ceded  by  Texas,  1850 ;  never  has  been  organized. 

60.— Ceded  by  France,  1803;  declared  "  Indian  country,"  1834. 

61.— The  independent  republic  of  Texas,  admitted  as  state  of  Texas,  1845. 

62.— Ceded  by  Texas,  1850 ;  transferred  to  territory  Kansas,  1854 ;  territory 
Colorado.  1861 ;  state  Colorado,  1876. 

63.— Ceded  by  Texas,  1850;  transferred  to  territory  New  Mexico,  1850;  ter 
ritory  Colorado,  1861 ;  state  Colorado,  1876. 

64.— Ceded  by  Texas,  1850 ;  transferred  to  territory  New  Mexico,  1850. 

65.— Ceded  by  Mexico,  1848:  transferred  to  territory  New  Mexico,  1850. 

66.— Ceded  by  Mexico,  1848;  transferred  to  territory  New  Mexico,  1850; 
territory  Arizona,  1863. 

67.— Ceded  by  Mexico,  1853 ;  transferred  to  territory  New  Mexico,  18-54 ;  to 
territory  Arizona,  1863. 

68.— Ceded  by  Mexico,  1853 ;  transferred  to  territory  New  Mexico,  1854. 

69.— Ceded  by  Mexico,  1848 ;  transferred  to  territory  New  Mexico,  1850 ;  to 
territory  Arizona,  1863 ;  to  state  Nevada,  1866. 

70.— Ceded  by  Mexico,  1848 ;  transferred  to  territory  Utah,  1850 ;  territory 
Nevada,  1861 ;  erected  into  state  Nevada,  1864. 

71.— Ceded  by  Mexico,  1848;  transferred  to  territory  Utah,  1850;  state  Ne 
vada,  1866. 

72.— Ceded  by  Mexico,  1848 ;  admitted  as  state  of  California,  1850. 

73.— Ceded  by  Mexico,  1848 ;  territory  Utah,  1850. 

74 —Ceded  by  Mexico,  1848 ;  territory  Utah,  1850 ;  territory  Colorado,  1861 ; 
state  Colorado,  1876. 

75.— Ceded  by  France,  1803 ;  territory  Missouri  to  territory  Nebraska,  1854 ; 
territory  Colorado,  1861 ;  state  Colorado,  1876. 

76.— Ceded  by  France,  1803 ;  territory  Missouri  to  territory  Kansas,  1854 ; 
to  territory  Colorado,  1861 ;  to  state  Colorado,  1876. 

77.— Ceded  by  Mexico,  1848  ;  transferred  to  territory  of  Utah,  1850;  terri 
tory  Nebraska,  1861 ;  territory  Idaho,  1863 ;  territory  Dakota,  1864 ;  territory 

TS.^Sedl'd  by  Mexico,  1848;  territory  Utah.  1850;  territory  Wyoming,  1868. 

79.— The  claim  of  the  United  States  to  79,  80,  84,  85,  86,  and  87  is  based 
upon  first  discovery  of  Columbia  River  in  1792 ;  first  exploration,  by  Lewis 
and  Clarke  in  1805 ;  first  settlement  at  Astoria  in  1811.  Claims  allowed  by 
Spain  in  treaty  of  1819,  and  by  Great  Britain  in  treaty  of  1846. 

80.— See  79;  to  territory  Oregon,  1848;  territory  Washington,  1853;  terri 
tory  Nebraska,  1861 ;  territory  Idaho,  1863;  territory  Dakota,  1864 ;  territory 
Wyoming,  1868. 

81.— Ceded  by  France  in  1803  (except  south-west  corner,  which  was  ceded 
by  Mexico  in  1848);  transferred  to  territory  Nebraska,  1854;  territory 
Idaho,  1861 ;  territory  Dakota,  1864 ;  territory  Wyoming,  1868. 

82.— Ceded  by  France,  1803 ;  transferred  to  territory  Nebraska,  1854 ;  terri 
tory  Dakota,  1861 ;  territory  Idaho,  1863 ;  territory  Dakota,  1864 ;  territory 
Wyoming,  1868. 

83.— Ceded  by  France,  1803 ;  transferred  to  territory  Nebraska,  1854 ;  ter 
ritory  Dakota,  1861 ;  territory  Idaho,  1863 ;  territory  Montana.  1864. 

84.— See  79 ;  to  territory  Oregon,  1848 ;  territory  Washington,  1853 ;  terri 
tory  Idaho,  1863 ;  territory  Montana,  1864. 

85.— See  79;  to  territory  Oregon,  1848;  territory  Washington,  1853;  terri 
tory  Idaho.  1863. 

86.— See  79 ;  to  territory  Oregon,  1848 ;  territory  Washington,  1853. 

87.— See  79;  to  territory  Oregon,  1848 ;  state  Oregon,  1859. 

88.— Ceded  by  France,  1803 ;  transferred  to  territory  Nebraska,  1854 ;  terri 
tory  Dakota,  1861 ;  territory  Idaho,  1863 ;  territory  Dakota,  1864 ;  territory 
Montana.  1873. 

89.— Ceded  by  state  of  New  York,  1781,  and  Massachusetts,  1785,  to  United 
States;  transferred  to  Pennsylvania,  1792. 

90.— Ceded  by  Russia,  1867 ;  unorganized  territory  of  Alaska. 


SYNOPSIS  OF  TWENTY -FOUR  ADMINISTRATIONS. 


i,  2. — GEORGE  WASHINGTON,  1789-1797.  Public  credit  established  by 
Hamilton — United  States  Bank  and  Mint  at  Philadelphia — 
Whisky  riot  and  Indian  ravages  suppressed — Treaties  with 
Great  Britain,  Spain,  and  Algiers — Vermont,  Kentucky,  and 
Tennessee  admitted.  ??  321-339 

3. — JOHN  ADAMS,  1797-1801.  Party  strife  between  Federalists  and 
Republicans— Alien  and  sedition  laws — French  republic  threat 
ens  war,  but  Bonaparte  makes  peace — United  States  Govern 
ment  removed  to  Washington  City,  in  the  district  ceded  by 
Maryland  and  Virginia — Coal  and  cotton  become  sources  of 
wealth — Ohio  admitted  as  a  state  in  1803.  $§34°-349 

4,  5. — THOMAS  JEFFERSON,  1801-1809.  Republican  plainness  at  the 
White  House — Purchase  of  Louisiana ;  its  northern  part  ex 
plored  by  Lewis  and  Clarke — War  with  Tripoli  ends  in  victory  to 
the  United  States — Steam  navigation  on  the  Hudson — English 
Right  of  Search  retaliated  by  the  Embargo  Act.  $$350-365 

6,  7. — JAMES  MADISON,  1809-1817.  War  with  Great  Britain — Harri 
son's  victory  at  Tippecanoe — Hull  surrenders  Detroit  and  all 
Michigan  Territory — American  victories  on  ocean  and  lakes — 
State  of  Louisiana  admitted — Massacre  at  Raisin  River — South 
ern  Indians  surprise  Fort  Minis,  but  are  subdued  by  Jackson 
— British  ravage  Atlantic  coast,  burn  Washington,  bombard 
Baltimore — Burn  Oswego — American  victories  at  Lundy's 
Lane  and  Plattsburgh— Hartford  Convention  opposes  the  war — 
Jackson's  victory  at  New  Orleans — Peace  at  Ghent — War 
against  Barbary  States  puts  an  end  to  tribute — Duties  imposed 
for  protection  of  home  industries — Indiana  organized  as  a 
state,  Michigan  and  Illinois  as  territories.  $$366-399 

8,  9. — JAMES  MONROE,  1817-1825.  Return  of  prosperity — Mississippi, 
Illinois,  Alabama,  Maine,  and  Missouri  admitted  as  states — 
"Missouri  Compromise"  advocated  by  Henry  Clay — First 
steamship  crosses  the  Atlantic — Florida  is  ceded  by  Spain — 
Monroe  Doctrine  enunciated.  {$400-408 

(iv) 


SYNOPSIS  OF  ADMINISTRATIONS. 


I0. — JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS,  1825-1829.  Completion  of  Erie  Canal 
— First  steam  locomotives  on  "  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal 
Railroad  " — Death  of  John  Adams  and  Thomas  Jefferson  on 
semi-centennial  of  American  Independence.  §§409-414 

ii,  12. — ANDREW  JACKSON,  1829-1837.  Changes  in  offices  under  Gov 
ernment—Debates  on  public  lands — "Nullification"  in 
South  Carolina — Firmness  of  the  President — Indian  disturb 
ances  North  and  South — Seminole  War — The  President  vetoes 
rechartering  of  United  States  Bank,  and  removes  public  funds 
— Era  of  prosperity  and  wild  speculations — Surplus  in  United 
States  Treasury  divided  among  the  states — Jackson's  Specie 
Circular — Arkansas  and  Michigan  admitted.  $$415-426 

J3. — MARTIN  VAN  BUREN,  1837-1841.  Commercial  failures  and 
panic — Repudiation  by  two  states  ;  bankruptcy  of  eight — 
The  Sub-Treasury  Law — Sympathy  with  Canada — Rise  of 
the  Whig  Party.  %  427-433 

f  WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON  (1841)  died  after  one  month  in 
14. —  J      office. 

[JOHN  TYLER,  1841-1845.  Refuses  to  recharter  National 
Bank,  and  his  cabinet  resign — Webster-Ashburton  Treaty 
settles  boundary  of  Maine  and  New  Brunswick — Dorr's  re 
bellion  in  Rhode  Island — Removal  of  Mormons  to  Utah — 
Annexation  of  Texas  and  admission  of  Florida — First  tele 
graph  established.  §§434-442 
15. — JAMES  KNOX  POLK,  1845-1849.  North-west  boundary  settled 
by  treaty  with  Great  Britain — War  with  Mexico — General 
Taylor  gains  battles  of  Palo  Alto,  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Mon 
terey,  and  Buena  Vista — General  Scott  marches  from  the 
coast  to  the  capital,  which  surrenders— General  Kearney 
conquers  New  Mexico ;  General  Fremont  and  Commodore 
Stockton,  California— Treaty  of  Guadalupe  Hidalgo  trans 
fers  to  United  States  upper  California,  Nevada,  Utah,  Ari 
zona,  and  New  Mexico — Gold  discovered  in  California— The 
Wilmot  Proviso — States  of  Iowa  and  Wisconsin  admitted. 

§§443-461 

("ZACHARY   TAYLOR,    1849-1850.     California  admitted    to   the 
!6. —  J       Union  by  Clay's  Omnibus  Bill — Death  of  the  President. 

[MILLARD  FILLMORE,  1850-1853.  Daniel  Webster  Secretary 
of  State — Gadsden  Purchase  secures  southern  Arizona — 
Death  of  Calhoun,  Clay,  and  Webster — Fugitive  Slave  Law 
opposed  by  Personal  Liberty  laws  in  several  states.  §§462-468 


vi  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

17. — FRANKLIN  PIERCE,  1853-1857.  World's  Fair  in  New  York — 
Perry's  expedition  to  Japan — Explorations  for  Pacific  Railroad 
— "Ostend  Manifesto"  by  three  American  ministers,  looking  to 
the  acquisition  of  Cuba — Organization  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska 
— Border  warfare — Rise  of  Republican  and  American,  or 
"Know-Nothing,"  parties.  §$469-476 

18. — JAMES  BUCHANAN,  1857-1861.  Minnesota  and  Oregon  admitted 
— John  Brown's  invasion  of  Virginia — Division  of  Democratic 
party — Election  of  Abraham  Lincoln — Ordinances  of  secession 
in  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  and  the  Gulf  States — Jefferson 
Davis  elected  President  of  the  Confederate  States — United 
States  forts  and  arsenals  seized  by  Southern  forces.  §§  477-485 

19. — ABRAHAM  LINCOLN,  1861-1865.  Bombardment  and  fall  of  Fort 
Sumter — Eleven  states  in  Secession — Separation  of  West  Vir 
ginia — Union  defeat  at  Bull  Run — McClellan  commander-in- 
chief — Blockade  of  southern  Atlantic  coast — The  "  Trent  Affair  " 
set  right  by  United  States  Government — Recapture  of  Hatteras 
Inlet,  Port  Royal  Entrance,  and  Tybee  Island.  §§486-501 

1862. — Forts  Henry  and  Donelson  taken  by  Grant — Battle  of 
Shiloh — Capture  of  Island  No.  10,  Memphis,  and  Fort  Pillow — 
Federal  victory  at  Pea  Ridge — Bragg's  campaign  in  Kentucky — 
Confederate  defeats  at  luka,  Corinth,  and  Murfreesborough — 
Capture  of  New  Orleans  by  Farragut  and  Butler — Merrimac  and 
Monitor  in  Hampton  Roads — McClellan's  march  to  Richmond — 
Second  defeat  at  Bull  Run — Invasion  of  Maryland — Battle  of 
Antietam — Union  defeat  at  Fredericksburg.  §§  502-528 

1863. — Emancipation  of  all  slaves  in  seceded  states — Enlist 
ment  of  50,000  negroes  in  Federal  armies  and  navies — Union 
defeat  at  Chancellorsville ;  death  of  "  Stonewall "  Jackson — Riots 
in  New  York — Invasion  of  Pennsylvania — Confederate  defeat  at 
Gettysburg — Surrender  of  Vicksburg  and  Port  Hudson  ends  the 
war  on  the  Mississippi — Morgan's  raid  in  Indiana  and  Ohio — 
Campaign  of  Chattanooga  ends  in  Union  victories  at  Lookout 
Mountain  and  Missionary  Ridge.  $?529~546 

1864. — Grant,  as  Lieutenant-general,  at  head  of  United  States 
armies — Battles  of  the  "Wilderness"  costly  and  indecisive — 
Battle  of  Cedar  Mountain  saved  by  "  Sheridan's  Ride  " — Sieges 
of  Richmond  and  Petersburg  begun — Sherman  defeats  Hood, 
burns  Atlanta,  marches  through  Georgia  to  the  sea;  captures 
Savannah — Re-election  of  President  Lincoln.  §$547~56i 

1865. — Burning  of  Columbia  and  part  of  Charleston — Sher- 


SYNOPSIS  OF  ADMINISTRATIONS.  vil 

man's  march  through  the  Carolinas — Abandonment  and 
burning  of  Richmond — Surrender  of  Lee's  and  Johnston's 
armies — Murder  of  President  Lincoln — Nevada  admitted, 
and  territories  organized.  §§  5O2~573 

20. — ANDREW  JOHNSON,  1865-1869.  ''Reconstruction  Policy"  of 
the  President  differing  from  that  of  Congress,  he  is  im 
peached,  but  acquitted — Fourteenth  Amendment  to  the 
Constitution  secures  the  civil  rights  of  freedmen — Most  of 
the  Southern  states  repeal  their  ordinances  of  secession,  and 
are  re-admitted  to  the  Union — Submarine  telegraph  success 
fully  established  between  Ireland  and  America,  1866 — Pur 
chase  of  Alaska — Burlingame  embassy  from  China  makes  a 
treaty  of  friendship.  §§  589~595 

,  22.— ULYSSES  S.  GRANT,  1869-1877.  Pacific  Railroad  completed— 
Texas,  last  of  the  seceded  states,  resumes  place  in  Congress 
— Treaty  of  Washington  provides  for  settlement  of  all  dif 
ferences  between  England  and  the  United  States — Alabama 
claims,  fixed  by  International  Board  at  Geneva,  are  paid  by 
Great  Britain — Fires  in  Chicago,  the  north-western  forests, 
and  in  Boston — Grant's  Indian  Policy — Murder  of  General 
Canby  by  the  Modocs — Commercial  panic  and  distress — 
Ring  robberies  in  great  cities— Congress  passes  a  Specie  Re 
sumption  Act — Colorado  becomes  a  state — Centennial  Expo 
sition  at  Philadelphia— War  with  the  Sioux— Massacre  of 
General  Custer  and  his  army— Joint  High  Commission  from 
Senate,  Representatives,  and  Supreme  Court  decide  the  re 
sults  of  the  Presidential  election  of  1876.  §§596-616 
23.— RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES,  1877-1881.  Pledges  of  peace  and 
civil  service  reform— Railway  riots  suppressed— Chinese 
Question  in  California— Act  to  set  aside  the  Burlingame 
Treaty  passed  by  Congress  but  vetoed  by  the  President- 
Resumption  of  gold  payments  January,  1879—  §§617-627 
[JAMES  ABRAM  GARFIELD,  1881.  Inaugurated  March  4th, 

24._  jgg! ;  died  September  igth  of  the  same  year.  g  628 

[CHESTER  ALAN  ARTHUR,  1881— 


APPENDIX. 


THE  DECLARATION  OE  INDEPENDENCE 

IN  CONGRESS,  JULY  4,   1776. 

THE  UNANIMOUS  DECLARATION  OF  THE  THIRTEEN  UNITED  STATES 
OF  AMERICA. 


WHEN,  in  the  course  of  human  events,  it  becomes  necessary  for  one 
people  to  dissolve  the  political  bands  which  have  connected  them  with 
another,  and  to  assume,  among  the  powers  of  the  earth,  the  separate  and 
equal  station  to  which  the  laws  of  nature  and  of  nature's  God  entitle 
them,  a  decent  respect  to  the  opinions  of  mankind  requires  that  they 
should  declare  the  causes  which  impel  them  to  the  separation. 

We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evident :  that  all  men  are  created  equal ; 
that  they  are  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain  unalienable  rights; 
that  among  these  are  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness ;  that,  to 
secure  these  rights,  governments  are  instituted  among  men,  deriving  their 
just  powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed ;  that,  whenever  any  form 
of  government  becomes  destructive  of  these  ends,  it  is  the  right  of  the 


as  to  them  shall  seem  most  likely  to  effect  their  safety  and  happiness. 
Prudence,  indeed,  will  dictate,  that  governments  long  established  should 
not  be  changed  for  light  and  transient  causes;  and,  accordingly,  all  expe 
rience  hath  shown  that  mankind  are  more  disposed  to  suffer,  while  evils 
are  sufferable,  than  to  right  themselves  by  abolishing  the  forms  to  which 
they  are  accustomed.  But  when  a  long  train  of  abuses  and  usurpations, 
pursuing  invariably  the  same  object,  evinces  a  design  to  reduce  them 
under  absolute  despotism,  it  is  their  right,  it  is  their  duty,  to  throw  off 
such  a  government,  and  to  provide  new  guards  for  their  future  security. 
Such  has  been  the  patient  sufferance  of  these  colonies,  and  such  is  now 
the  necessity  which  constrains  them  to  alter  their  former  systems  of  gov 
ernment.  The  history  of  the  present  King  of  Great  Britain  is  a  history 
of  repeated  injuries  and  usurpations,  all  having  in  direct  object  the  estab 
lishment  of  an  absolute  tyranny  over  these  States.  To  prove  this,  let 
facts  be  submitted  to  a  candid  world. 

He  has  refused  his  assent  to  laws  the  most  wholesome  and  necessary  for 
the  public  good. 

He  has  forbidden  his  governors  to  pass  laws  of  immediate  and  pressing 
importance,  unless  suspended  in  their  operations  till  his  assent  should  be 
obtained;  and  when  so  suspended,  he  has  utterly  neglected  to  attend  to 
them. 

He  has  refused  to  pass  other  laws  for  the  accommodation  of  large  dis 
tricts  of  people,  unless  those  people  would  relinquish  the  right  of  repre 
sentation  in  the  legislature— a  right  inestimable  to  them,  and  formidable 
to  tyrants  only. 

(viii) 


THE  DECLARA  TION  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  IX 


He  has  called  together  legislative  bodies  at  places  unusual,  uncomfort 
able,  and  distant  from  the  depository  of  their  public  records,  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  fatiguing  them  into  compliance  with  his  measures. 

He  has  dissolved  representative  houses  repeatedly  for  opposing,  with 
manly  firmness,  his  invasions  On  the  rights  of  the  people. 

He  has  refused,  for  a  long  time  after  such  dissolutions,  to  cause  others  to 
be  elected,  whereby  the  legislative  powers,  incapable  of  annihilation, 
have  returned  to  the  people  at  large  for  their  exercise ;  the  state  remain 
ing,  in  the  meantime,  exposed  to  all  the  dangers  of  invasions  from  with 
out  and  convulsions  within. 

He  has  endeavored  to  prevent  the  population  of  these  States;  for  that 
purpose  obstructing  the  laws  for  the  naturalization  of  foreigners ;  refus 
ing  to  pass  others  to  encourage  their  migration  hither,  and  raising  the 
conditions  of  new  appropriations  of  lands. 

He  has  obstructed  the  administration  of  justice  by  refusing  his  assent 
to  laws  for  establishing  judiciary  powers. 

He  has  made  judges  dependent  on  his  will  alone  for  the  tenure  of  their 
offices,  and  the  amount  and  payment  of  their  salaries. 

He  has  erected  a  multitude  of  new  offices,  and  sent  hither  swarms  of 
officers  to  harass  our  people  and  eat  out  their  substance. 

He  has  kept  among  us,  in  times  of  peace,  standing  armies,  without  the 
consent  of  our  legislatures. 

He  has  affected  to  render  the  military  independent  of,  and  superior  to, 
the  civil  power. 

He  has  combined  with  others  to  subject  us  to  a  jurisdiction  foreign  to 
our  constitution,  and  unacknowledged  by  our  laws ;  giving  his  assent  to 
their  acts  of  pretended  legislation : 

For  quartering  large  bodies  of  armed  troops  among  us ; 

For  protecting  them,  by  a  mock  trial,  from  punishment  for  any  mur 
ders  which  they  should  commit  on  the  inhabitants  of  these  states ; 

For  cutting  off  our  trade  with  all  parts  of  the  world ; 

For  imposing  taxes  on  us  without  our  consent ; 

For  depriving  us,  in  many  cases,  of  the  benefits  of  trial  by  jury ; 

For  transporting  us  beyond  seas  to  be  tried  for  pretended  offenses ; 

For  abolishing  the  free  system  of  English  laws  in  a  neighboring  prov 
ince,  establishing  therein  an  arbitrary  government,  and  enlarging  its 
boundaries,  so  as  to  render  it  at  once  an  example  and  fit  instrument  for 
introducing  the  same  absolute  rule  into  these  colonies: 

For  taking  away  our  charters,  abolishing  our  most  valuable  laws,  and 
altering,  fundamentally,  the  forms  of  our  governments; 

For  suspending  our  own  legislatures,  and  declaring  themselves  invested 
with  power  to  legislate  for  us  in  all  cases  whatsoever. 

He  has  abdicated  government  here  by  declaring  us  out  of  his  protec 
tion,  and  waging  war  against  us. 

He  has  plundered  our  seas,  ravaged  our  coasts,  burned  our  towns,  and 
destroyed  the  lives  of  our  people. 

He  is  at  this  time  transporting  large  armies  of  foreign  mercenaries  to 
complete  the  works  of  death,  desolation,  and  tyranny,  already  begun 
with  circumstances  of  cruelty  and  perfidy,  scarcely  paralleled  in  the 
most  barbarous  ages,  and  totally  unworthy  the  head  of  a  civilized  nation. 

He  has  constrained  our  fellow-citizens,  taken  captive  on  the  high  seas, 
to  bear  arms  against  their  country,  to  become  the  executioners  of  their 
friends  and  brethren,  or  to  fall  themselves  by  their  hands. 

He  has  excited  domestic  insurrection  among  us,  and  has  endeavored  to 
bring  on  the  inhabitants  of  our  frontiers  the  merciless  Indian  savages, 
whose  known  rule  of  warfare  is  an  undistinguished  destruction  of  all 
ages,  sexes,  and  conditions. 

In  every  stage  of  these  oppressions  we  have  petitioned  forredress  in  the 
most  humble  terms :  our  repeated  petitions  have  been  answered  only  by 
repeated  injury.  A  prince  whose  character  is  thus  marked  by  every  act 
which  may  define  a  tyrant,  is  unfit  to  be  the  ruler  of  a  free  people. 

Nor  have  we  been  wanting  in  attentions  to  our  British  brethren.  We 
have  warned  them,  from  time  to  time,  of  attempts  by  their  legislature  to 
extend  an  unwarrantable  jurisdiction  over  us.  We  have  reminded  them 
of  the  circumstances  of  our  emigration  and  settlement  here.  We  have 
appealed  to  their  native  justice  and  magnanimity,  and  we  have  conjured 
them,  by  the  ties  of  our  common  kindred,  to  disavow  these  usurpations, 
which  would  inevitably  interrupt  our  connections  and  correspondence. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


They,  too,  have  been  deaf  to  the  voice  of  justice  and  of  consanguinity. 
We  must,  therefore,  acquiesce  in  the  necessity  which  denounces  our  sep 
aration,  and  hold  them,  as  we  hold  the  rest  of  mankind— enemies  in  war ; 
in  peace,  friends. 

We,  therefore,  the  representatives  of  the  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA, 
in  General  Congress  assembled,  appealing  to  the  Supreme  Judge  of  the 
world  for  the  rectitude  of  our  intentions,  do,  in  the  name  and  by  the  au 
thority  of  the  good  people  of  these  colonies,  solemnly  publish  and  declare, 
That  these  United  Colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  Free  and  In 
dependent  States;  that  they  are  absolved  from  all  allegiance  to  the  British 
crown,  and  that  all  political  connection  between  them  and  the  state  of 
Great  Britain  is,  and  ought  to  be,  totally  dissolved ;  and  that,  as  Free  and 
Independent  States,  they  have  full  power  to  levy  war,  conclude  peace,  con 
tract  alliances,  establish  commerce,  and  to  do  all  other  acts  and  things 
which  Independent  States  may  of  right  do.  And  for  the  support  of  this 
Declaration,  with  a  firm  reliance  on  the  protection  of  DIVINE  PROVI 
DENCE,  we  mutually  pledge  to  each  other  our  lives,  our  fortunes,  and  our 
sacred  honor. 

JOHN  HANCOCK. 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE.— Josiah  Bartlett,  William  Whipple,  Matthew  Thorn 
ton. 

MASSACHUSETTS  BAY.— Samuel  Adams,  John  Adams,  Robert  Treat 
Paine,  Elbridge  Gerry. 

RHODE  ISLAND,  ETC.— Stephen  Hopkins,  William  Ellery. 

CONNECTICUT.— Roger  Sherman,  Samuel  Huntington,William  Williams, 
Oliver  Wolcott. 

NEW  YORK.— William  Floyd,  Philip  Livingston,  Francis  Lewis,  Lewis 
Morris. 

NEW  JERSEY.— Richard  Stockton,  John  Witherspoon,  Francis  Hopkin- 
son,  John  Hart,  Abraham  Clark. 

PENNSYLVANIA.— Robert  Morris,  Benjamin  Rush,  Benjamin  Franklin, 
John  Morton,  George  Clymer,  James  Smith,  George  Taylor,  James  Wilson, 
George  Ross. 

DELAWARE.— Csesar  Rodney,  George  Read,  Thomas  M'Kean. 

MARYLAND.— Samuel  Chase,  William  Paca,  Thomas  Stone,  Charles  Car 
roll  of  Carrol  Iton. 

VIRGINIA.— George  Wythe,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  Thomas  Jefferson,  Ben 
jamin  Harrison,  Thomas  Nelson,  Jr.,  Francis  Lightfoot  Lee,  Carter 
Braxton. 

NORTH  CAROLINA.— William  Hooper,  Joseph  Hewes,  John  Penn. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA.— Edward  Rutledge,  Thomas  Heyward,  Jr.,  Thomas 
Lynch,  Jr.,  Arthur  Middleton. 

GEORGIA.— Button  Gwinnett,  Lyman  Hall,  George  Walton. 


CONSTITUTION 


OF   THE 


UNITED   STATES  OF  AMERICA, 


WE,  the  people  of  the  United  States,  in  order  to  form  a  more  perfect 
union,  establish  justice,  insure  domestic  tranquillity,  provide  for  the  com 
mon  defense,  promote  the  general  welfare,  and  secure  the  blessings  of 
liberty  to  ourselves  and  our  posterity,  do  ordain  and  establish  this  Con 
stitution  for  the  United  States  of  America. 

ARTICLE  I.— SECTION  1. 

1.  All  legislative  powers  herein  granted  shall  be  vested  in  a  Congress  of 
the  United  States,  which  shall  consist  of  a  Senate  and  House  of  Repre 
sentatives. 

SECTION  2. 

1.  The  House  of  Representatives  shall  be  composed  of  members  chosen 
every  second  year  by  the  people  of  the  several  States ;  and  the  electors  in 
each  State  shall  have  the  qualifications  requisite  for  electors  of  the  most 
numerous  branch  of  the  State  legislature. 

2.  No  person  shall  be  a  Representative  who  shall  not  have  attained  to 
the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  and  been  seven  years  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States,  and  who  shall  not,  when  elected,  be  an  inhabitant  of  that  State  in 
which  he  shall  be  chosen. 

3.  Representatives  and  direct  taxes  shall  be  apportioned  among  the  sev 
eral  States  which  may  be  included  within  this  Union,  according  to  their 
respective  numbers,  which  shall  be  determined  by  adding  to  the  whole 
number  of  free  persons,  including  those  bound  to  service  for  a  term  of 
years,  and  excluding  Indians  not  taxed,  three  fifths  of  all  other  persons. 
The  actual  enumeration  shall  be  made  within  three  years  after  the  first 
meeting  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  and  within  every  subse 
quent  term  of  ten  years,  in  such  manner  as  they  shall  by  law  direct.    The 
number  of  Representatives  shall  not  exceed  one  for  every  thirty  thousand, 
but  each  State  shall  have  at  least  one  Representative;  and  until  such 
enumeration  shall  be  made,  the  State  of  New  Hampshire  shall  be  en 
titled  to  choose  three;  Massachusetts,  eight;  Rhode  Island  and  Provi 
dence  Plantations,  one ;  Connecticut,  five ;  New  York,  six ;  New  Jersey, 
four;  Pennsylvania,  eight:  Delaware, one ;  Maryland, six;  Virginia, ten ; 
North  Carolina,  five;  South  Carolina,  five;  and  Georgia,  three. 

4.  When  vacancies  happen  in  the  representation  from  any  State,  the 
executive  authority  thereof  shall   issue  writs  of   election  to  fill  such 
vacancies. 

5.  The  House  of  Representatives  shall  choose  their  Speaker  and  other 
officers,  and  shall  have  the  sole  power  of  impeachment. 

SECTION  3. 

1.  The  Senate  of  the  United  States  shall  be  composed  of  two  Senators 
from  each  State,  chosen  by  the  legislature  thereof,  for  six  years ;  and  each 
Senator  shall  have  one  vote. 

(xi) 


xii  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


2.  Immediately  after  they  shall  be  assembled  in  consequence  of  the  first 
election,  they  shall  be  divided  as  equally  as  may  be  into  three  classes. 
The  seats  of  the  Senators  of  the  first  class  shall  be  vacated  at  the  expira 
tion  of  the  second  year,  of  the  second  class  at  the  expiration  of  the  fourth 
year,  and  of  the  third  class  at  the  expiration  of  the  sixth  year,  so  that  one 
third  may  be  chosen  every  second  year;  and  if  vacancies  happen,  by 
resignation  or  otherwise,  during  the  recess  of  the  legislature  of  any  State, 
the  Executive  thereof  may  make  temporary  appointments  until  the  next 
meeting  of  the  legislature,  which  shall  then  fill  such  vacancies. 

3.  No  person  shall  be  a  Senator  who  shall  not  have  attained  to  the  age 
of  thirty  years,  and  been  nine  years  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and 
who  shall  not,  when  elected,  be  an  inhabitant  of  that  State  for  which  he 
shall  be  chosen. 

4.  The  Vice-president  of  the  United  States  shall  be  president  of  the 
Senate,  but  shall  have  no  vote,  unless  they  be  equally  divided. 

5.  The  Senate  shall  choose  their  other  officers,  and  also  a  president  pro- 
tempore,  in  the  absence  of  the  Vice-president,  or  when  he  shall  exercise 
the  office  of  President  of  the  United  States. 

6.  The  Senate  shall  have  the  sole  powe,r  to  try  all  impeachments.   When 
sitting  for  that  purpose,  they  shall  be  on  oath  or  affirmation.    When  the 
President  of  the  United  States  is  tried,  the  Chief -justice  shall  preside;  and 
no  person  shall  be  convicted  without  the  concurrence  of  two  thirds  of  the 
members  present. 

7.  Judgment  in  cases  of  impeachment  shall  not  extend  further  than  to 
removal  from  office,  and  disqualification  to  hold  and  enjoy  any  office  of 
honor,  trust,  or  profit,  under  the  United  States;  but  the  party  convicted 
shall  nevertheless  be  liable  and  subject  to  indictment,  trial,  judgment, 
and  punishment,  according  to  law. 

SECTION  4. 

1.  The  times,  places,  and  manner  of  holding  elections  for  Senators  and 
Representatives  shall  be  prescribed  in  each  State  by  the  legislature  thei'e- 
of ;  but  the  Congress  may,  at  any  time,  by  law,  make  or  alter  such  regula 
tions,  except  as  to  the  places  of  choosing  Senators. 

2.  The  Congress  shall  assemble  at  least  once  in  every  year,  and  such 
meeting  shall  be  on  the  first  Monday  in  December,  unless  they  shall  by 
law  appoint  a  different  day. 

SECTION  5. 

1.  Each  house  shall  be  the  judge  of  the  elections,  returns,  and  qualifica 
tions  of  its  own  members,  and  a  majority  of  each  shall  constitute  a 

auorumtodo  business;  but  a  smaller  number  may  adjourn  from  day  to 
ay,  and  may  be  authorized  to  compel  the  attendance  of  absent  members 
in  such  manner  and  under  such  penalties  as  each  House  may  provide. 

2.  Each  House  may  determine  the  rules  of  its  proceedings,  punish  its 
members  for  disorderly  behavior,  and,  with  the   concurrence  of  two 
thirds,  expel  a  member. 

3.  Each  House  shall  keep  a  journal  of  its  proceedings,  and  from  time  to 
time  publish  the  same,  excepting  such  parts  as  may  in  their  judgment 
require  secrecy ;  and  the  yeas  and  nays  of  the  members  of  either  House, 
on  any  question,  shall,  at  the  desire  of  one  fifth  of  those  present,  be  en 
tered  on  the  journal. 

4.  Neither  House,  during  the  session  of  Congress,  shall,  without  the 
consent  of  the  other,  adjourn  for  more  than  three  days,  nor  to  any  other 
place  than  that  in  which  the  two  Houses  shall  be  sitting. 

SECTION  6. 

1.  The  Senators  and  Representatives  shall  receive  a  compensation  for 
their  services,  to  be  ascertained  by  law,  and  paid  out  of  the  Treasury  of 
the  United  States.    They  shall  in  all  cases,  except  treason,  felony,  and 
breach  of  the  peace,  be  privileged  from  arrest  during  their  attendance  at 
the  session  of  their  respective  Houses,  and  in  going  to  and  returning  from 
the  same ;  and  for  any  speech  or  debate  in  either  House,  they  shall  not  be 
questioned  in  any  other  place. 

2.  No  Senator  or  Representative  shall,  during  the  time  for  which  he  was 
elected.be  appointed  to  any  civil  office  under  the  authority  of  the  United 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES.          xm 


States  which  shall  have  been  created,  or  the  emoluments  whereof  shall 
have  been  increased,  during  such  time ;  and  no  person  holding  any  office 
under  the  United  States  shall  be  a  member  of  either  House  during  his 
continuance  in  office. 

SECTION  7. 

1.  All  bills  for  raising  revenue  shall  originate  in  the  House  of  Repre 
sentatives  ;  but  the  Senate  may  propose  or  concur  with  amendments,  as 
on  other  bills. 

2.  Every  bill  which  shall  have  passed  the  House  of  Representatives  and 
the  Senate,  shall,  before  it  become  a  law,  be  presented  to  the  President  of 
the  United  States :  if  he  approve  he  shall  sign  it,  but  if  not  he  shall  return 
it  with  his  objections  to  that  House  in  which  it  shall  have  originated, 
who  shall  enter  the  objections  at  large  on  their  journal,  and  proceed  to  re 
consider  it.    If,  after  such  reconsideration,  two  thirds  of  that  House  shall 
agree  to  pass  the  bill,  it  shall  be  sent,  together  with  the  objections,  to  the 
other  House,  by  which  it  shall  likewise  be  reconsidered,  and  if  approved 
by  two  thirds  of  that  House,  it  shall  become  a  law.    But  in  all  such  cases 
the  votes  of  both  Houses  shall  be  determined  by  yeas  and  nays,  and  the 
names  of  the  persons  voting  for  and  against  the  bill  shall  be  entered  on 
the  journal  of  each  House  respectively.    If  any  bill  shall  not  be  returned 
by  the  President  within  ten  days  (Sundays  excepted)  after  it  shall  have 
been  presented  to  him,  the  same  shall  be  a  law,  in  like  manner  as  if  he 
had  signed  it,  unless  the  Congress,  by  their  adjournment,  prevent  its  re 
turn,  in  which  case  it  shall  not  be  a  law. 

3.  Every  order,  resolution,  or  vote,  to  which  the  concurrence  of  the 
Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  may  be  necessary  (except  on  a  ques 
tion  of  adjournment)  shall  be  presented  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  before  the  same  shall  take  effect  shall  be  approved  by  him,  or, 
being  disapproved  by  him,  shall  be  re-passed  by  two  thirds  of  the  Senate 
and  House  of  Representatives,  according  to  the  rules  and  limitations  pre 
scribed  in  the  case  of  a  bill. 

SECTION  8. 

The  Congress  shall  have  power— 

H.  To  lay  and  collect  taxes,  duties,  imposts,  and  excises,  to  pay  the  debts 
and  provide  for  the  common  defense  and  general  welfare  of  the  United 
States;  but  all  duties,  imposts,  and  excises  shall  be  uniform  throughout 
the  United  States; 

"2.  To  borrow  money  on  the  credit  of  the  United  States ; 

3.  To  regulate  commerce  with  foreign  nations,  and  among  the  several 
States,  and  with  the  Indian  tribes; 

4.  To  establish  a  uniform  rule  of  naturalization,  and  uniform  laws  on 
the  subject  of  bankruptcies  throughout  the  United  States; 

5.  To  coin  money,  regulate  the  value  thereof  and  of  foreign  coin,  and  fix 
the  standard  of  weights  and  measures ; 

6.  To  provide  for  the  punishment  of  counterfeiting  the  securities  and 
current  coin  of  the  United  States ; 

7.  To  establish  post-offices  and  post-roads; 

8.  To  promote  the  progress  of  science  and  useful  arts,  by  securing  for 
limited  times  to  authors  and  inventors,  the  exclusive  right  to  their  re 
spective  writings  and  discoveries; 

9.  To  constitute  tribunals  inferior  to  the  Supreme  Court; 

._  10.  To  define  and  punish  piracies  and  felonies  committed  on  the  high 
seas,  and  offenses  against  the  law  of  nations; 

r/  11.  To  declare  war,  grant  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal,  and,  make  rules 
concerning  captures  on  land  and  water; 

J2.  To  raise  and  support  armies,  but  no  appropriation  of  money  to  that 
use  shall  be  for  a  longer  term  than  two  years; 

i/13.  To  provide  and  maintain  a  navy ; 

\  14.  To  make  rules  for  the  government  and  regulation  of  the  land  and 
naval  forces; 

15.  To  provide  for  calling  forth  the  militia  to  execute  the  laws  of  the 
Union,  suppress  insurrections,  and  repel  invasions ; 

16.  To  provide  for  organizing,  arming,  and  disciplining  the  militia,  and 
for  governing  such  part  of  them  as  may  be  employed  in  the  service  of  the 

U,  S,  H-24. 


xiv  HISTORY  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES. 


United  States,  reserving  to  the  States  respectively  the  appointment  of  the 
officers  and  the  authority  of  training  the  militia  according  to  the  disci 
pline  prescribed  by  Congress; 

17.  To  exercise  exclusive  legislation  in  all  cases  whatsoever  over  such 
district  (not  exceeding  ten  miles  square)  as  may,  by  cession  of  particular 
States  and  the  acceptance  of  Congress,  become  the  seat  of  the  Govern 
ment  of  the  United  States,  and  to  exercise  like  authority  over  all  places 
purchased  by  the  consent  of  the  legislature  of  the  State  in  which  the 
same  shall  be,  for  the  erection  of  forts,  magazines,  arsenals,  dock-yards, 
and  other  needful  buildings ;  and, 

18.  To  make  all  laws  which  shall  be  necessary  and  proper  for  carrying 
into  execution  the  foregoing  powers,  and  all  other  powers  vested  by  this 
Constitution  in  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  or  in  any  depart 
ment  or  officer  thereof. 

SECTION  9. 

1.  The  migration  or  importation  of  such  persons  as  any  of  the  States 
now  existing  shall  think  proper  to  admit,  shall  not  be  prohibited  by  the 
Congress  prior  to  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eight,  but  a 
tax  or  duty  may  be  imposed  on  such  importation,  not  exceeding  ten  dol 
lars  for  each  person. 

2.  The  privilege  of  the  writ  of   habeas  corpus  shall  not  be  suspended 
unless  when  in  cases  of  rebellion  or  invasion  the  public  safety  may  re 
quire  it. 

3.  No  bill  of  attainder  or  ex  post  facto  law  shall  be  passed. 

4.  No  capitation  or  other  direct  tax  shall  be  laid,  unless  in  proportion  to 
the  census  or  enumeration  hereinbefore  directed  to  be  taken. 

5.  No  tax  or  duty  shall  be  laid  on  articles  exported  from  any  State.    No 
preference  shall  be  given  by  any  regulation  of  commerce  or  revenue  to 
the  ports  of  one  State  over  those  of  another ;  nor  shall  vessels  bound  to  or 
from  one  State  be  obliged  to  enter,  clear,  or  pay  duties  in  another. 

6.  No  money  shall  be  drawn  from  the  treasury  but  in  consequence  of 
appropriations  made  by  law ;  and  a  regular  statement  and  account  of  the 
receipts  and  expenditures  of  all  public  money  shall  be  published  from 
time  to  time. 

7.  No  title  of  nobility  shall  be  granted  by  the  United  States ;  and  no 
person  holding  any  office  of  profit  or  trust  under  them,  shall,  without  the 
consent  of  the  Congress,  accept  of  any  present,  emolument,  office,  or  title, 
of  any  kind  whatever,  from  any  king,  prince,  or  foreign  state. 

SECTION  10. 

1.  No  State  shall  enter  into  any  treaty,  alliance,  or  confederation  ;  grant 
letters  of  marque  and  reprisal ;  coin  money ;  emit  bills  of  credit;  make 
any  thing  but  gold  and  silver  coin  a  tender  in  payment  of  debts ;  pass  any 
bill  of  attainder,  ex  post  facto  law,  or  law  impairing  the  obligation  of  con 
tracts,  or  grant  any  title  of  nobility. 

2.  No  State  shall,  without  the  consent  of  the  Congress,  lay  any  imposts 
or  duties  on  imports  or  exports  except  what  may  be  absolutely  necessary 
for  executing  its  inspection  laws :  and  the  net  produce  of  all  duties  and 
imposts  laid  by  any  State  on  imports  or  exports  shall  be  for  the  use  of  the 
treasury  of  the  United  States;  and  all  such  laws  shall  be  subject  to  the 
revision  and  control  of  the  Congress.    No  State  shall,  without  the  consent 
of  Congress,  lay  any  duty  of  tonnage,  keep  troops  or  ships  of  war  in  time 
,of  peace,  enter  into  any  agreement  or  compact  with  another  State  or  with 
/a  foreign  power,  or  engage  in  war,  unless  actually  invaded,  or  in  such  im« 

minent  danger  as  will  not  admit  of  delay. 

ARTICLE  U.-SECTION  1. 

1.  The  Executive  power  shall  be  vested  in  a  President  of  the  United 
states  of  America.    He  shall  hold  his  office  during  the  term  of  four  years, 
and,  together  with  the  Vice-president,  chosen  for  the  same  term,  be  elected 
as  follows : 

2.  Each  State  shall  appoint  in  such  manner  as  the  legislature  thereof 
may  direct,  a  number  of  Electors  equal  to  the  whole  number  of  Senators 
and  Representatives  to  which  the  State  may  be  entitled  in  the  Congress ; 
but  no  Senator  or  Representative,  or  person  holding  an  office  of  trust  or 
profit  under  the  United  States,  shall  be  appointed  an  Elector. 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES.          xv 


Clause  3  has  been  superseded  by  the  12th  Article  of  Amendments. 

4.  The  Congress  may  determine  the  time  of  choosing  the  Electors,  and 
the  day  on  which  they  shall  give  their  votes;  which  day  shall  be  the 
same  throughout  the  United  States. 

5.  No  person,  except  a  natural-born  citizen,  or  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States  at  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution,  shall  be  eligible  to 
the  office  of  President ;  neither  shall  any  person  be  eligible  to  that  office 
who  shall  not  have  attained  to  the  age  of  thirty -five  years,  and  been  four 
teen  years  a  resident  within  the  United  States. 

6.  In  case  of  the  removal  of  the  President  from  office,  or  of  his  death, 
resignation,  or  inability  to  discharge  the  powers  and  d  utiesof  the  said  office, 
the  same  shall  devolve  on  the  Vice-president ;  and  the  Congress  may  by 
law  provide  for  the  case  of  removal,  death,  resignation,  or  inability,  both 
of  the  President  and  Vice-president,  declaring  what  officer  shall  then  act 
as  President,  and  such  officer  shall  act  accordingly,  until  the  disability  be 
removed  or  a  President  shall  be  elected. 

7.  The  President  shall,  at  stated  times,  receive  for  hisservices  a  compen 
sation,  which  shall  neither  be  increased  nor  diminished  during  the  period 
for  which  he  shall  have  been  elected,  and  he  shall  not  receive  within  that 
period  any  other  emolument  from  the  United  States  or  any  of  them. 

8.  Before  he  enter  on  the  execution  of  his  office,  he  shall  take  the  fol 
lowing  oath  or  affirmation : 

"  I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm)  that  I  will  faithfully  execute  the  office 
of  President  of  the  United  States,  and  will,  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  pre 
serve,  protect,  and  defend  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States." 

SECTION  2. 

1.  The  President  shall  be  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  and  navy  of 
the  United  States,  and  of  the  militia  of  the  several  States  when  called 
into  the  actual  service  of  the  United  States ;  he  may  require  the  opinion, 
in  writing,  of  the  principal  officer  in  each  of  the  executive  departments, 
upon  any  subject  relating  to  the  duties  of  their  respective  offices,  and  he 
shall  have  power  to  grant  reprieves  and  pardons  for  offenses  against  the 
United  States,  except  in  cases  of  impeachment. 

2.  He  shall  have  power,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the 
Senate,  to  make  treaties,  provided  two  thirds  of  the  Senators  present 
concur;  and  he  shall  nominate,  and  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent 
of  the  Senate,  shall  appoint  ambassadors,  other  public  ministers  and 
Consuls,  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  all  other  officers  9f  the  United 
States,  whose  appointments  are  not  herein  otherwise  provided  for,  and 
which  shall  be  established  by  law ;  but  the  Congress  may  by  law  vest  the 
appointment  of  such  inferior  officers  as  they  think  proper,  in  the  Presi 
dent  alone,  in  the  Courts  of  law,  or  in  the  heads  of  Departments. 

3.  The  President  shall  have  power  to  fill  up  all  vacancies  that  may  hap 
pen  during  the  recess  of  the  Senate,  by  granting  commissions  which  shall 
expire  at  the  end  of  their  next  session. 

SECTION  3. 

He  shall,  from  time  to  time,  give  to  the  Congress  information  of  the 
state  of  the  Union,  and  recommend  to  their  consideration  such  measures 
BS  he  shall  judge  necessary  and  expedient;  he  may,  on  extraordinary 
occasions,  convene  both  Houses,  or  either  of  them,  and  in  case  of  dis 
agreement  between  them  with  respect  to  the  time  of  adjournment,  he 
may  adjourn  them  to  such  time  as  he  shall  think  proper ;  he  shall  receive 
ambassadors  and  other  public  ministers ;  he  shall  take  care  that  the  laws 
be  faithfully  executed,  and  shall  commission  all  the  officers  of  the  United 
States. 

I-  SECTION  4. 

The  President,  Vice-president,  and  all  civil  officers  of  the  United  States, 
shall  be  removed  from  office  on  impeachment  for,  and  conviction  of, 
treason,  bribery,  or  other  high  crimes  and  misdemeanors. 

ARTICLE  III.— SECTION  1. 

The  judicial  power  of  the  United  States  shall  be  vested  in  one  Supreme 
Court,  and  in  such  inferior  Courts  as  the  Congress  may  from  time  to  time 


XVI  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


ordain  and  establish.  The  Judges,  both  of  the  Supreme  and  inferior 
Courts,  shall  hold  their  offices  during  good  behavior,  and  shall,  at  stated 
times,  receive  for  their  services  a  compensation  which  shall  not  be  dimin 
ished  during  their  continuance  in  office. 

SECTION  2. 

1.  The  judicial  power  shall  extend  to  all  cases  in  law  and  equity  arising 
under  this  Constitution,  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  and  treaties  made, 
or  which  shall  be  made,  under  their  authority  ;lo  all  cases  affecting  am 
bassadors,  other  public  ministers,  and  consuls ;  to  all  cases  of  admiralty 
and  maritime  jurisdiction;  to  controversies  to  which  the  United  States 
shall  be  a  pill Lji ' ,  tlTcontroversies  between  two  or  more  States;  between  a 
State  and  citizens  of  another  Sta.te ;  between  citizens  of  different  States ; 
between  citizens  of  the  same  State  claiming  lands  under  grants  of  differ 
ent  States ;  and  between  a  State,  or  the  citizens  thereof,  and  foreign 
States,  citizens,  or  subjects. 

2.  In  all  cases  affecting  ambassadors,  other  public  ministers,  and  con 
suls,  and  those  in  which  a  State  shall  be  a  party,  the  Supreme  Court  shall 
have  original  jurisdiction.    In  all  the  other  cases  before  mentioned,  the 
Supreme  Court  shall  have  appellate  jurisdiction,  both  as  to  law  and  fact, 
with  such  exceptions  and  under  such  regulations  as  the.  Congress  shall 
make. 

3.  The  trial  of  all  crimes,  except  in  cases  of  impeachment,  shall  be  by 
jury ;  and  such  trial  shall  be  held  in  the  State  where  the  said  crimes  shall 
have  been  committed :  but  when  not  committed  within  any  State,  the 
trial  shall  be  at  such  place  or  places  as  the  Congress  may  by  law  have  di 
rected. 

SECTION  3. 

1.  Treason  against  the  United  States  shall  consist  only  In  levying  war 
against  them,  or  in  adhering  to  their  enemies,  giving  them  aid  and  com 
fort.    No  person  shall  be  convicted  of  treason  unless  on  the  testimony  of 
two  witnesses  to  the  same  overt  act,  or  on  confession  in  open  court. 

2.  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  declare  the  punishment  of  treason, 
but  no  attainder  of  treason  shall  work  corruption  of  blood,  or  forfeiture, 
except  during  the  life  of  the  person  attainted. 

ARTICLE  IV— SECTION  1. 

Full  faith  and  credit  shall  be  given  in  each  State  to  the  public  acts, 
records,  and  judicial  proceedings  of  every  other  State.  And  the  Congress 
may,  by  general  laws,  prescribe  the  manner  in  which  such  acts,  records, 
and  proceedings  shall  be  proved,  and  the  effect  thereof. 

SECTION  2. 

1.  The  citizens  of  each  State  shall  be  entitled  to  all  privileges  and  im 
munities  of  citizens  in  the  several  States. 

2.  A  person  charged  in  any  State  with  treason,  felony,  or  other  crime, 
who  shall  flee  from  justice,  and  be  found  in  another  State,  shall,  on  de 
mand  of  the  executive  authority  of  the  State  from  which  he  fled,  be  de 
livered  up,  to  be  removed  to  the  State  having  jurisdiction  of  the  crime. 

3.  No  person  held  to  service  or  labor  in  one  State,  under  the  laws  thereof, 
escaping  into  another,  shall,  in  consequence  of  any  law  or  regulation 
therein,  be  discharged  from  such  service  or  labor,  but  shall  be  delivered 
up  on  claim  of  the  party  to  whom  such  service  or  labor  may  be  due. 

SECTION  3. 

1.  New  States  may  be  admitted  by  the  Congress  into  this  Union  :  but  no 
new  State  shall  be  formed  or  erected  within  the  jurisdiction  of  any  other 
State  ;  nor  any  State  be  formed  by  the  junction  of  two  or  more  States,  or 
parts  of  States,  without  the  consent  of  the  legislatures  of  the  States  con 
cerned  as  well  as  of  the  Congress. 

2.  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  dispose  of  and  make  all  needful 
rules  and  regulations  respecting  the  territory  or  other  property  belonging 
to  the  United  States;  and  nothing  in  this  Constitution  shall  be  so  con 
strued  as  to  prejudice  any  claims  of  the  United  States,  or  of  any  partic 
ular  State. 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES.       xvii 


SECTION  4. 

The  United  States  shall  guarantee  to  every  State  in  this  Union  a  repub 
lican  form,  of  government,  and  shall  protect  each  of  them  against  inva 
sion  ;  and,  on  application  of  the  legislature,  or  of  the  Executive  (when 
the  legislature  can  not  be  convened)  against  domestic  violence. 

ARTICLE  V. 

The  Congress,  whenever  two  thirds  of  both  Houses  shall  deem  it  neces 
sary,  shall  propose  Amendments  to  this  Constitution,  or,  on  the  applica 
tion  of  the  legislatures  of  two  thirds  of  the  several  States,  shall  call  a  con 
vention  for  proposing  Amendments,  which,  in  either  case,  shall  be  valid 
to  all  intents  an.d  purposes  as  part  of  this  Constitution,  when  ratified  by 
the  legislatures  of  three  fourths  of  the  several  States,  or  by  conventions 
in  three  fourths  thereof,  as  the  one  or  the  other  mode  of  ratification  may 
be  proposed  by  the  Congress :  provided,  that  no  Amendment  which  may 
be  made  prior  to  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eight  shall  in 
any  manner  affect  the  first  and  fourth  clauses  in  the  ninth  section  of  the 
first  article ;  and  that  no  State,  without  its  consent,  shall  be  deprived  of 
its  equal  suffrage  in  the  Senate. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

1.  All  debts  contracted  and  engagements  entered  into,  before  the  adop 
tion  of  this  Constitution,  shall  be  as  valid  against  the  United  States  under 
this  Constitution  as  under  the  Confederation. 

2.  This  Constitution,  and  the  laws  of  the  United  States  which  shall  be 
made  in  pursuance  thereof,  and  all  treaties  made,  or  which  shall  be  made, 
under  the  authority  of  the  United  States,  shall  be  the  supreme  law  of  the 
land  ;  and  the  judges  in  every  State  shall  be  bound  thereby,  any  thing  in 
the  constitution  or  laws  of  any  State  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

3.  The  Senators  and  Representatives  before  mentioned,  and  the  mem 
bers  of  the  several  State  legislatures,  and  all  executive  and  judicial  offi 
cers,  both  of  the  United  States  and  of  the  several  States,  shall  be  bound 
by  oath  or  affirmation  to  support  this  Constitution ;  but  no  religious  test 
shall  ever  be  required  as  a  qualification  to  any  office  or  public  trust  under 
the  United  States. 

ARTICLE  VII. 

The  ratification  of  the  Conventions  of  nine  States  shall  be  sufficient  for 
the  establishment  of  this  Constitution  between  the  States  so  ratifying  the 


AMENDMENTS   TO   THE  CONSTITUTION. 

ARTICLE  I. 

Congress  shall  make  no  law  respecting  an  establishment  of  religion,  or 
prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof;  or  abridging  the  freedom  of  speech 
or  of  the  press ;  or  the  right  of  the  people  peaceably  to  assemble,  and  to 
petition  the  government  for  a  redress  of  grievances. 

ARTICLE  II. 

A  well-regulated  militia  being  necessary  to  the  security  of  a  free  state, 
the  right  of  the  people  to  keep  and  bear  arms  shall  not  be  infringed. 

ARTICLE  III. 

No  soldier  shall,  in  time  of  peace,  be  quartered  in  any  house  without  the 
consent  of  the  owner,  nor  in  time  of  war,  but  in  a  manner  to  be  pre 
scribed  by  law. 


xviii  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


ARTICLE  IV. 

The  right  of  the  people  to  be  secure  in  their  persons,  houses,  papers,  and 
effects,  against  unreasonable  searches  and  seizures,  shall  not  be  violated, 
and  no  warrants  shall  issue,  but  upon  probable  cause,  supported  by  oath 
or  affirmation,  and  particularly  describing  the  place  to  be  searched,  and 
the  persons  or  things  to  be  seized. 

ARTICLE  V. 


No  person  shall  be  held  to  answer  for  a  capital  or  otherwise  infamous 
crime,  unless  on  a  presentment  or  indictment  of  a  grand  jury,  except  in 
cases  arising  in  the  land  or  naval  forces,  or  in  the  militia  when  in  actual 
service  in  time  of  war  or  public  danger;  nor  shall  any  person  be  subject 
for  the  same  offense  to  be  twice  put  in  jeopardy  of  life  or  limb ;  nor  shall 
be  compelled  in  any  criminal  case  to  be  a  witness  against  himself;  nor 
be  deprived  of  life,  liberty,  or  property,  without  due  process  of  law  ;  nor 
shall  private  property  be  taken  for  public  use  without  just  compensation. 


ARTICLE  VI. 

In  all  criminal  prosecutions,  the  accused  shall  enjoy  the  right  to  a 
speedy  and  public  trial,  by  an  impartial  jury  of  the  State  and  district 
wherein  the  crime  shall  have  been  committed,  which  district  shall  have 
been  previously  ascertained  by  law,  and  to  be  informed  of  the  nature  and 
cause  of  the  accusation  ;  to  be  confronted  with  the  witnesses  against  him ; 
to  have  compulsory  process  for  obtaining  witnesses  in  his  favor,  and  to 
have  the  assistance  of  counsel  for  his  defense. 

ARTICLE  VII. 

In  suits  at  common  law  where  the  value  in  controversy  shall  exceed 
twenty  dollars,  the  right  of  trial  by  jury  shall  be  preserved,  and  no  fact 
tried  by  a  jury  shall  be  otherwise  re-examined  in  any  Court  of  the  United 
States,  than  according  to  the  rules  of  the  common  law. 

ARTICLE  VIII. 

Excessive  bail  shall  not  be  required,  nor  excessive  fines  imposed,  nor 
cruel  and  unusual  punishments  inflicted. 

ARTICLE  IX. 

The  enumeration  in  the  Constitution  of  certain  rights  shall  not  be  con 
strued  to  deny  or  disparage  others  retained  by  the  people. 

ARTICLE  X. 

The  powers  not  delegated  to  the  United  States  by  the  Constitution,  nor 
prohibited  by  it  to  the  States,  are  reserved  to  the  States  respectively,  or  to 
the  people. 

ARTICLE  XI. 

The  judicial  power  of  the  United  States  shall  not  be  construed  to  extend 
to  any  suit  in  law  or  equity,  commenced  or  prosecuted  against  one  of  the 
United  States  by  citizens  of  another  State,  or  by  citizens  or  subjects  of 
any  foreign  State. 

ARTICLE  XII. 

The  Electors  shall  meet  in  their  respective  States,  and  vote  by  ballot 
for  President  and  Vice-president,  one  of  whom,  at  least,  shall  not  be  an 
inhabitant  of  the  same  State  with  themselves ;  they  shall  name  in  their 
ballots  the  person  voted  for  as  President,  and  in  distinct  ballots  the  per- 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES.         xix 


son  voted  for  as  Vice-president,  and  they  shall  make  distinct  lists  of  all 
persons  voted  for  as  President,  and  of  all  persons  voted  for  as  Vice-presi 
dent,  and  of  the  number  of  votes  for  each,  which  lists  they  shall  sign  and 
certify,  and  transmit  sealed  to  the  seat  of  the  government  of  the  United 
States,  directed  to  the  President  of  the  Senate.  The  President  of  the 
Senate  shall,  in  the  presence  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives, 
open  all  the  certificates,  and  the  votes  shall  then  be  counted ;  the  person 
having  the  greatest  number  of  votes  for  President  shall  be  the  President, 
if  such  number  be  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  of  Electors  ap 
pointed  ;  and  if  no  person  have  such  majority,  then  from  the  persons 
having  the  highest  numbers,  not  exceeding  three,  on  the  list  of  those 
voted  for  as  President,  the  House  of  Representatives  shall  choose  imme 
diately,  by  ballot, .the  President.  But  in  choosing  the  President,  the  votes 
shall  be  taken  by  States,  the  representation  from  each  State  having  one 
vote ;  a  quorum  for  this  purpose  shall  consist  of  a  member  or  members 
from  two  thirds  of  the  States,  and  a  majority  of  all  the  States  shall  be 
necessary  to  a  choice.  And  if  the  House  of  Representatives  shall  not 
choose  a  President,  whenever  the  right  of  choice  shall  devolve  upon 
them,  before  the  fourth  day  of  March  next  following,  then  the  Vice-pres 
ident  shall  act  as  President,  as  in  the  case  of  the  death  or  other  constitu 
tional  disability  of  the  President.  The  person  having  the  greatest  num 
ber  of  votes  as  Vice-president  shall  be  the  Vice-president,  if  such  number 
be  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  of  Electors  appointed,  and  if  no  per 
son  have  a  majority,  then  from  the  two  highest  numbers  on  the  list  the 
Senate  shall  choose  the  Vice-president ;  a  quorum  for  the  purpose  shall 
consist  of  two  thirds  of  the  whole  number  of  Senators,  and  a  majority  of 
the  whole  number  shall  be  necessary  to  a  choice.  But  no  person  constitu 
tionally  ineligible  to  the  office  of  President  shall  be  eligible  to  that  of 
Vice-president  of  the  United  States. 

ARTICLE  XIII. 

1.  Neither  Slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude,  except  as  a  punishment 
for  crime,  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly  convicted,  shall  exist 
within  the  United  States,  or  any  place  subject  to  their  jurisdiction. 

2.  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce  this  article  by  appropriate  legis 
lation. 

ARTICLE  XIV. 

1.  All  persons  born  or  naturalized  in  the  United  States,  and  subject  to 
the  jurisdiction  thereof,  are  citizens  of  the  United  States  and  of  the  State 
wherein  they  reside.  No  State  shall  make  or  enforce  any  law  which  shall 


equal  protection  of  the  laws. 

2.  Representatives  shall  be  apportioned  among  the  several  States  ac 
cording  to  their  respective  numbers,  counting  the  whole  number  of  per 
sons  in  each  State,  excluding  Indians  not  taxed.    But  when  the  right  to 
vote  at  any  election  for  the  choice  of  electors  for  President  and  Vice- 
president  of  the  United  States,  Representatives  in  Congress,  the  executive 
and  judicial  officers  of  a  State,  or  the  members  of  the  legislature  thereof, 
is  denied  to  any  of  the  male  inhabitants  of  such  State,  being  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  and  citizens  of  the  United  States,  or  in  any  way  abridged, 
except  for  participation  in  rebellion  or  other  crime,  the  basis  of  represen 
tation  therein  shall  be  reduced  in  the  proportion  which  the  number  of 
such  male  citizens  shall  bear  to  the  whole  number  of   male  citizens 
twenty -one  years  of  age  in  such  State. 

3.  No  person  shall  be  a  Senator  or  Representative  in  Congress,  or  elector 
of  President  and  Vice-president,  or  hold  any  office,  civil  or  military,  un 
der  the  United  States,  or  under  any  State,  who,  having  previously  taken 
an  oath,  as  a  member  of  Congress,  or  as  an  officer  of  the  United  States,  or 
as  a  member  of  any  State  legislature,  or  as  an  executive  or  judicial  officer 
of  any  State,  to  support  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  shall  have 
engaged  irt  insurrection  or  rebellion  against  the  same,  or  given  aid  or 
comfort  to  the  enemies  thereof.    But  Congress  may,  by  a  vote  of  two 
thirds  of  each  House,  remove  such  disability. 


XX  HISTOR  Y  OF  THE  UNITED  STA  TES. 


4.  The  validity  of  the  public  debt  of  the  United  States,  authorized  by 
law,  including  debts  incurred  for  payment  of  pensions  and  bounties  for 
services  in  suppressing  insurrection  or  rebellion,  shall  not  be  questioned. 
But  neither  the  United  States  nor  any  State  shall  assume  or  pay  any  debt 
or  obligation  incurred  in  aid  of   insurrection  or  rebellion  against  the 
United  States,  or  any  claim  for  the  loss  or  emancipation  of  any  slave ; 
but  all  such  debts,  obligations,  and  claims  shall  be  held  illegal  and  void. 

5.  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce,  by  appropriate  legislation, 
the  provisions  of  this  article. 

ARTICLE  XV. 

1.  The  right  of  citizens  of  the  United  States  to  vote  shall  not  be  denied 
or  abridged  by  the  United  States,  or  by  any  Stated  on  account  of  race, 
color,  or  previous  condition  of  servitude. 

2.  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce  this  article  by  appropriate 
legislation. 


QUESTIONS  ON  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE 
UNITED  STATES. 


1.  By  whose  authority  was  the  Constitution  established  ? 

2.  What  six  distinct  purposes  are  declared  in  the  "enacting  clause" 
with  which  it  opens? 

3.  What  imperfect  union  had  already  existed  ?    §g  298,  299. 

4.  How  long  had  the  United  States  existed  as  a  nation  when  the  Consti 
tution  was  adopted  ? 

ARTICLE  I. 

5.  To  whom  is  the  law-making  power  entrusted  ?    Section  1. 

6.  Of  what  two  bodies  does  Congress  consist? 

7.  By  whom  and  how  often  is  a  Representative  chosen  ?    Section  2. 

8.  Of  what  age  and  nationality  must  he  be  ?    Section  2,  Clause  2. 

9.  Can  an  inhabitant  of  Maine  be  elected  to  represent  a  district  in 
Nevada? 

10.  What  was  the  least  number  of  persons  that  were  entitled  to  a  Repre 
sentative  when  the  Constitution  was  adopted  ?    Section  2,  Clause  3. 

11.  What  number  constitutes  a  Congressional  District  now  ?   Ans.  151,912. 

12.  What  is  the  whole  number  of  United  States  Senators?    Section  3. 

13.  How  long  does  a  Senator  serve  ? 

14.  What  are  his  qualifications  as  to  age  and  citizenship  ?    Section  3, 
Clause  3. 

15.  Who  presides  in  the  Senate  ?    Section  3,  Clause  4. 
Ifi.  In  what  case  does  the  Vice-president  vote? 

17.  How  would  his  place  in  the  Senate  be  filled  in  case  of  his  death,  ab 
sence,  or  promotion  to  the  Presidency  ?    Section  3,  Clause  5. 

18.  How  many  Vice-presidents  have  succeeded  to  the  highest  office  ? 

19.  What  judicial  powers  are  vested  in  the  Senate?    Section  3,  Clause  6. 

20.  What  punishment  can  be  inflicted  in  cases  of  impeachment?    Sec 
tion  3,  Clause  7. 

21.  How  often,  and  on  what  day,  does  Congress  assemble  ?    Section  4, 
Clause  2. 

22.  Who  decides  upon  the  qualifications  of  members  ?    Section  5,  Clause  1. 

23.  What  are  the  privileges  of  members  of  Congress?    Section  0,  Clause  1. 

24.  Can  they  hold  any  office  under  the  Government  ?    Section  6,  Clause  2. 

25.  What  house  originates  bills  for  raising  the  public  revenues?    Section 
7,  Clause  1. 

26.  What  part  has  the  President  in  making  laws  ?    Section  7.  Clause  2. 

27.  In  what  two  cases  can  a  law  become  effective  without  the  President's 
signature  ?    Section  7,  Clause  2. 


QUESTIONS  ON-  THE  CONSTITUTION.  xxi 


28.  Recite  the  powers  and  duties  of   Congress  as  enumerated  in  the 
eighteen  clauses  of  Section  8. 

29.  In  what  cases  only  can  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  be  refused  to  an 
arrested  person  ?    Section  9,  Clause  2. 

30.  What  is  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus?    See  Andrews's  "Manual  of  the 
Constitution,"  pages  146, 147. 

31.  Can  a  law  authorize  the  punishment  of  an  offense  that  was  com 
mitted  before  the  law  was  made  ?    Section  9,  Clause  3. 

32.  Can  Congress  favor  one  state  more  than  another  in  imposing  taxes 
and  duties  ?    Section  9.  Clause  5. 

33.  Can  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  accept  gifts,  offices,  or  titles  from 


a  foreign  government  ?    Section  9,  Clause  7. 
34.  What  restrictions  are  laid  on 


the  actions  of  the  several  States?    Sec 
tion  10. 

ARTICLE  II. 

35.  What  is  required  of  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency  as  to  age,  citizen 
ship,  and  residence  ?    Section  1,  Clause  5. 

36.  What  powers  are  exercised   by   the  President   alone?    Section  2, 
Clauses  1  and  3. 

37.  What,  in  concurrence  with  the  Senate  ?    Section  2,  Clause  2. 

38.  What  additional  duties  are  demanded  of  him  ?    Section  3. 

39.  How  and  for  what  reasons  can  a  President  be  removed  ?    Section  4. 

ARTICLE  III. 

40.  How  long  do  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  hold  their  office?  Section  1. 

41.  What  cases  are  judged  by  the  Supreme  Court?    Section  2. 

42.  What  is  the  difference  between  original  and  appellate  jurisdiction? 
See  Andrews's  "  Manual  of  the  Constitution,"  page  206. 

43.  In  what  court  must  a  robber  of  the  mails  be  tried  ? 

44.  What  is  meant  by  "  trial  by  jury  "?    Section  2,  Clause  3.    Andrews's 
"  Manual  of  the  Constitution,"  page  213. 

45.  What  constitutes  treason   against   the   United   States?    Section  3, 
Clause  1. 

46.  Can  the  children  of  a  traitor  be  made  to  suffer  in  person  or  property 
for  their  father's  crime  ?    Section  3,  Clause  2. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

47.  What  duties  do  the  several  states  owe  to  each  other  ?   Sections  1  and  2. 

48.  By  what  authority  and  under  what  conditions  can  new  states  be 
admitted  ?    Section  3. 

49.  What  claim  can  any  state  make  on  the  General  Government  ?    Sec 
tion  4. 

ARTICLE  V. 

50.  How  can  amendments  be  made  .in  the  Constitution  ? 

ARTICLE  VI. 

51.  What  constitutes  the  supreme  law  of  the  land  ?    Section  2. 

AMENDMENTS. 

52.  What  was  the  general  purpose  of  the  ten  Amendments  proposed  by 
the  first  Congress  and  accepted  by  the  states?    Articles  I-X. 

53.  Can  any  one  be  legally  called  in  question  for  religious  belief  or  prac 
tice  in  the  United  States?    Article  I. 

54.  What  are  the  rights  of  the  accused  under  Articles  V  to  VIII. 

55.  How  was  the  mode  of  electing  executive  officers  settled  in  1803  and 
1804?    Article  XII. 

56.  Under  what  description  were  slaves  alluded  to  in  the  original  Con 
stitution  ?    Article  I,  Section  2,  Clause  3 ;  and  Section  9,  Clause  1. 

57.  What  was  the  Thirteenth  Amendment,  ratified  in  December,  1865? 

58.  How  are  "citizens"  defined  in  the  Fourteenth  Amendment?    Sec 
tion  1. 

59.  How  is  the  number  of  Representatives  made  dependent  on  the  free 
exercise  of  the  right  to  vote  ?    XIV,  Section  2. 

60.  What  class  of  persons  were  excluded  from  civil  office  by  Amend 
ment  XIV,  Section  3. 


INDEX. 


Numbers  refer  to  Sections;  N  refers  to  accompanying  Notes.    A  Pronouncing 
Vocabulary  will  be  found  on  page  xxxviii. 


Abercrombie,  defeated,  186, 187. 

Abraham,  Plains  of,  190,  N.;  191. 

Acadia,  settled,  83,  N.  ;  ceded  to 
France,  129;  captured,  169;  trans 
ferred  to  England,  173,  N.;  French 
expelled,  181. 

Adams,  John,  at  Versailles,  307,  N.; 
Vice-pres.,  319 ;  leading  Federalist, 
333;  Pres.,  340,  N.;  death  of,  413. 

Adams,  John  Quincy,-  Pres.,  409,  N.; 
character  of,  410;  in  Congress,  414. 

Adams,  Mrs.  John,  347,  N. 

Adams,  Samuel,  233,  N. 

Admiralty,  Courts  of,  148. 

Agassiz,  Louis,  632. 

Alabama,  settled  by  French,  160; 
admitted,  402 ;  secedes,  481. 

Alabama  Claims,  settled,  600. 

Alaska,  purchased,  594. 

Albany,  founded,  106;  named,  115; 
convention  at,  178. 

Albemarle,  settlements,  131,  132; 
attacked  by  the  Tuscaroras,  172. 

Alexander,  Sir  William,  83,  N. 

Algerine  Pirates,  329,  335,  397. 

Alien  Law,  342. 

Allen,  Ethan,  237,  N. 

Almanac,  Poor  Richard's,  204. 

Amendments,  the  13th,  passed  by 
Congress,  561,  N.;  the  14th  accepted, 
591 ;  15th  becomes  law,  598. 

America,  discovered  by  Northmen, 
6 ;  by  Columbus,  32, 33,  36 ;  by  En 
glish,  37;  by  Portuguese,  38 ;  parti 
tion  of,  49. 

American,  debts  in  Eng.  after  Rev., 
330,  331;  flag  first  raised,  283,  N.; 
first  saluted,  300 ;  Party,  476 ;  Philo 
sophical  Society  founded,  206; 
"  System,"  the,  398. 

Amerigo  Vespucci,  36. 

Anderson,  Major,  seizes  Ft.  Sum- 
ter,  482 ;  compelled  to  evacuate,  489 ; 
honors  to,  570,  N. 

Andre,  Major,  293-295,  N. 

Andros,  royal  governor,  138,  N.,  139. 

Anne,  Queen,  148,  N. 

Antietam,  battle  of,  526. 

Appalachee  Bay,  disc.,  41 ;  settle 
ments  conquered  by  English,  171. 

Appalachian  Mountain  System,  12. 

Arizona,  settled,  48 ;  ceded  to  U.  S., 
457;  territory  increased,  465;  or 
ganized,  573. 

Arkansas,  settled  by  French,  162; 
admitted,  426;  secedes,  490. 

Arkwright,  invents  "spinning 
jenny,"  348,  633. 

Arlington,  Lord,  67. 


Armed  Neutrality  in  Europe  dur 
ing  American  Revolution,  301. 

Army  of  the  Potomac  in  1862,528; 
condition  Jan.,  1863,  532. 

Arnold,  Benedict,  at  Ticonderoga, 
237,  N.;  at  Quebec,  246,  N.;  attacks 
Tryon,  262,  N.;  sent  to  aid  Schuy- 
ler,  263 ;  promoted,  266,  N.;  treason 
of,  292-295. 

Arthur,  Chester  A.,  Vice-pres.,  627; 
President,  628,  N. 

Aspinwall,  William,  93. 

Astoria,  founded,  443. 

Astor,  John  Jacob,  443,  N. 

Atlanta,  Ga.,  destruction  of,  557, 558. 

Atlantic  Cable,  laid,  592,  593. 

Azores,  discovered,  30. 

Bacon's  Rebellion,  68,  N.,  69. 

Balboa,  Nunez  de,  39,  N. 

Baltimore,  bombarded  386;  Demo 
cratic  convention  at,  479;  attack 
on  Union  troops  in,  491. 

Baltimore,  the  first  lord,  70, 71 ;  the 
second  lord,  71,  73. 

Bank  of  North  America,  founded, 
315,  N. 

Bank  of  the  U.  S.,  established,  323; 
renewal  of  charter  vetoed,  421 ;  re- 
chartered  and  fails,  429. 

Banks,  Gen.,  at  Port  Hudson,  539. 

Barbary  States  prey  on  American 
commerce,  329,  335, 360,  397. 

Barren,  Com.,  kills  Decatur,  397,  N. 

Barton.  Col.,  takes  Prescott  pris 
oner,  262,  N. 

Bartram,  John,  206. 

Baton  Rouge,  captured,  515. 

Baum,  defeated  by  Stark,  264. 

Beauregard,  Gen.,  at  Bull  Run.  493; 
at  Shiloh,  506;  abandons  Corinth, 
508. 

Bell,  John,  nominated  for  Presi 
dency,  479.  N. 

Bemus's  Heights,  battle  of,  265,  N. 

Bennington,  battle  of,  264,  N. 

Berkeley,  Gov.,  67-69,  N.;  receives 
grant  of  half  of  New  Jersey,  116 ; 
sells  to  Quakers,  118;  receives 
grant  of  part  of  Virginia,  130,  N. 

Bienville,  at  Biloxi,  160,  N.;  gov 
ernor  of  Louisiana,  161,  N. 

Biloxi,  Miss.,  settled,  160,  N. 

Black  Hawk  War,  418. 

Bladensburg,  battle  of,  385,  N. 

Blennerhasset,  Harman,  362,  N. 

Block,  Adrian,  explorations  in 
Long  Island  Sound,  105. 


(xxii) 


Bio 


INDEX. 


Ced 


Blockade,  the,  496-498. 

Board  of  Trade,  appointed,  145;  re 
ject  colonial  union,  178. 

Bon  Homme  Richard,  283,  N. 

Boone,  Daniel,  243,  N. 

Booth.  John  Wilkes,  murders  Lin 
coln,  570;  is  killed,  571. 

Bordentown,  N.  J.,  abandoned  by 
British,  259. 

Boston,  founded,  capital  of  Salem 
colony,  86,  N.;  under  Andros,  138; 
massacre,  222,  N.;  port  closed,  228; 
besieged  by  Americans,  233 .  evac 
uated  by  British,  248;  the  great 
fire  in,  603. 

Boundary  bet.  Eng.  and  Spanish 
poss.  altered,  171 ;  of  U.  S.  by  treaty 
of  Versailles,  309;  bet.  U.  S.  and 
Spanish  poss.  fixed,  334 ;  bet.  Maine 
and  New  Brunswick  disputed,  431 ; 
present  N.  E.  boundary  of  U.  S. 
fixed,  436;  bet.  Oregon  and  British 
America  fixed,  444;  bet.  U.  S.  and 
Mexico  disputed,  445;  bet.  Wash. 
Ter.  and  British  Col.  settled,  601. 

Braddock's  defeat,  180. 

Bradford,  Gov.,  80, 199. 

Bradstreet,  Col.,  captures  Fort 
Frontenac,  188. 

Bragg,  Gen.  Braxton,  invades  Ky., 
509-511,  N.;  at  Perryville,  512;  at 
Murfreesborough,  513;  at  Chick- 
amauga  and  Chattanooga.  543 :  at 
Lookout  Mountain,  545,  546. 

Brandt,  in  Mohawk  Valley,  264,  N.; 
relative  of  Johnsons,  275,  N.;  de 
feated,  276. 

Brandy  wine,  battle  of,  263,  N. 

Brazil  discovered,  38. 

Breckenridge,  John  C.,  nominated 
for  Presidency,  479,  N. 

Breed's  Hill  fortified,  238. 

Brock,  Gen.,  receives  Hull's  surren 
der,  370;  killed,  371. 

Brook,  Lord,  89. 

Brown,  Gen.,  at  Lundy 's  Lane,  388  N. 

Brown,  John,  invades  Va.,  478  N. 

Brown  University  founded,  201. 

Buchanan,  James,  Pres.,  476;  tries 
to  conciliate  parties,  477,  N. 

Buell,  Gen.,  at  Shiloh,  507;  pursues 
Bragg,  510;  superseded  by  Rose- 
crans,  513. 

Buena  Vista,  battle  of,  449. 

Bull  Run,  first  battle  of,  493-495; 
second  battle  of,  524. 

Bunker  Hill,  order  for  fortifying, 
238;  battle  of,  239,  240,  N.;  monu 
ment  erected, 405. 

Burgesses,  council  of,  63;  set  apart 
lands  for  college,  201 ;  appoint  fast 
owing  to  Boston  Port  Bill,  and 
favor  united  resistance,  229. 

Burgoyne,  Gen.,  arrives  at  Boston, 
238,  N.;  plan  of  for  1777,  262  ;  fights 
two  battles  of  Saratoga  and  sur 
renders,  265,  266,  N. 

Burke,  Edmond,  271. 


Burlingame,  Anson,  embassador 
from  China,  595;  bill  to  set  aside 
treaty  of,  624. 

Burlington,  Iowa,  founded,  461. 

Burlington,  N.  J.,  settled  by  Quak 
ers,  118 ;  abandoned  by  British,  259. 

Burnside.Gen.,  succeeds  McClellan, 
526 ;  at  Knoxville,  547. 

Burr,  Aaron,  Vice-pres..  350,  N.;  kills 
Hamilton,  321,  N.,  361;  tried  for 
treason,  362. 

Butler,  Gen.  B.  F.,  takes  possession 
of  New  Orleans,  514,  515;  confis 
cates  negroes,  529;  receives  negro 
regiments  in  army,  531 ;  on  the 
James,  552;  attacks  Ft.  Fisher,  559. 

Cabot,  John,  37,  N.;  Sebastian  37,  N. 

Cabral,  38. 

Calhoun,  John  C.,  Vice-pres.,  409,  N.; 
proposed  pres.  of  a  Southern  Con 
federacy,  417;  on  annexation  of 
Texas,  441 ;  death  of,  466. 

California,  settled,  48 ;  independent 
of  Mexico,  456 ;  ceded  to  U.  S.,  457 ; 
slavery  ques.,  462 ;  admitted,  463. 

Calvert,  George,  70;  Cecil,  71 ;  George 
Leonard,  72. 

Calverts,  the,  73, 

Cambridge,  seat  of  Harvard,  87. 

Camden,  N.  J.,  settled  by  Dutch,  108 ; 
battle  of,  288,  N. 

Cameron,  Richard,  founds  sect  of 
Covenanters,  137,  N. 

Canada,  French  in,  47 ;  conquest  by 
Americans  planned,  169;  ceded  to 
Great  Brit,,  193;  urged  to  join  col 
onies  in  seeking  redress,  218,  231 ; 
line  of  com.  with  seized,  237;  in 
vasion  by  colonies,  245-247;  inva 
sion  in  1812,  371,  383 ;  rebels  against 
England,  431. 

Canary  Islands  discovered,  30. 

Canby,  Gen.,  killed  by  Modocs,  606. 

Canonchet,  103. 

Canonicus,  threatens  war,  80;  gives 
Roger  Williams  land,  92. 

Cape  Breton  Island,  captured,  189. 

Cape  Fear  River  settlement,  132,  N. 

Carillon,  Fort,  186. 

Carleton,  Sir  Guy,  247,  306. 

Carolinas,  granted,  130,  N.;  endeavor 
to  suppress  slave  trade,  148;  sur 
rendered  to  the  crown,  150;  cede 
western  lands  to  U.  S.,  298. 

Caroline,  Fort,  44,  45;  vessel,  431. 

Carson  City,  573. 

Carteret,  Sir  George,  receives  half 
of  New  Jersey,  116. 

Carthagena,  S.  A.,  captured  by  Eug. 
colonists,  174. 

Cartier,  Jacques,  43,  N. 

Carver,  John,  78,  79. 

Catherine,  the  Great,  proclaims 
"armed  neutrality,"  301. 

Cedar  Creek,  battle  of.  553. 

Cedar  Mountain,  battle  of,  524. 


(xxiii) 


Cen 


INDEX. 


Cor 


Centennial  Exposition,  612. 

Cerro  Gordo,  battle  of,  451. 

Champlain,  Lake,  explored,  47. 

Champlain.  Samuel  de,  47,  N. 

Chancellorsville,  battle  of,  532. 

Chantilly,  battle  of,  524. 

Chapultepec,  fortress  captured,  453. 

Charles  I,  cedes  Maryland,  70 ;  op 
poses  Puritans,  125 ;  beheaded,  126. 

Charles  II,  destroys  Virginia  free 
dom,  67;  grant  to  Penn.119;  gives 
away  half  N.  Amer.,  128,  N.;  cedes 
Acadia  and  Nova  Scotia,  129 ;  gives 
land  and  charter  to  Conn.,  129; 
grant  to  Duke  of  York,  129 :  grants 
the  Carolinas,  130 ;  dies,  136. 

Charleston,  S.  C.,  settled,  133;  at 
tempted  cap.  by  French,  171;  be 
sieged  by  British,  249  N.;  cap.  by 
Brit.,  285 ;  evacuated  by  Brit.,  307 ; 
Democratic  convention  at,  479 ;  be 
sieged  by  Union  forces,  560 ;  aban 
doned  and  burned  by  the  Confed 
erates,  562,  N.;  ceremonies  after 
Civil  War,  570,  N. 

Charlestown,  Mass.,  founded,  86; 
burned  by  British,  240. 

Charter  Oak,  139,  N. 

Chase,  Salmon  P.,  590,  N. 

Chatham,  Earl  of,  see  Pitt,  William. 

Chattanooga,  vicinity  described, 
541,512;  siege  of,  543. 

Cherokees,  sell  lands  in  Ky.,  243; 
moved  west  of  Miss.  River,  406; 
civilization  of,  407. 

Cherry  Valley,  N.  Y.,  massacre,  275. 

Chicago  fire,  602. 

Chicagou  (Chicago),  fort  estab.,  165. 

Chickamauga  River,  battle  of,  543. 

Chickasaw  Landing,  captnred,  538. 

Chihuahua,  captured,  454. 

China,  sends  embassy  to  TJ.  S.,  595. 

Chinese,  immigration,  595,  621,623; 
education  in  America,  625. 

Chippewa,  battle  of,  387. 

Choiseul,  215,  N. 

Chopart,  angers  the  Natchez,  163. 

Christiana,  founded,  110. 

Churubusco,  battle  of,  452. 

Cincinnati,  founded,  349;  threat 
ened  by  Kirby  Smith,  510;  by 
Morgan,  540. 

Cincinnati,  Society  of  the,  308,  N. 

Civil  Rights  Bill,  passed,  .589. 

Civil  Service  reform,  618. 

Claims  against  England,  599,  600. 

Clark,  Col.,  N.  W.  of  Ohio  River, 
277 ;  captures  British  posts,  278. 

Clarke,  John,  93. 

Clarke,  William,  358,  N. 

Clay,  Henry,  advocates  "Missouri 
Compromise," 402,  N.;  Sec.  of  State, 
409:  introduces  compromise  on 
tariff,  417 ;  candidate  for  Pres.,  441 ; 
introduces  "  Omnibus  Bill,"  463,  N.; 
death  of,  466. 

Clayborne's  rebellion,  72. 

Clermont,  the,  363. 


Clinton,  Gen.,  arrives  at  Boston,  238, 
N.;  besiges  Charleston,  S.  C.,  249; 
plan  for  1777,  262 ;  succeeds  Howe, 
272;  captures  Charleston,  285;  treats 
for  surrender  of  West  Point,  293; 
tries  to  buy  Princeton  mutineers, 
297 ;  superseded  by  Carleton,  306. 

Clinton,  George,  Vice-Pres.,  362,  N.; 
re-elected,  366. 

Cockburn,  Admiral,  386,  N. 

Coddington,  William,  93. 

Colfax,  Schuyler,  Vice-Pres.,  596. 

Coligny,  44,  N. 

Colonial  habits,  209-211. 

Colonies  organize  themselves  into 

•    sovereign  states,  251. 

Colorado,  admitted,  611. 

Colorado  River,  explored,  42. 

Columbia    College,   founded,    201; 

Columbia  River,  explored,  358; 
named,  443,  N. 

Columbia,  S.  C..  captured,  562. 

Columbus,  Christopher,  31-36,  N.; 
Diego,  39. 

Commerce  of  colonies,  213 ;  restric 
tions  on,  244. 

Communism  in  America,  622. 

Compromise,  Missouri,  402 ;  on  the 
tariff,  417 ;  of  1850,  463,  N. 

Conant,  Roger,  84,  N. 

Concord,  Mass.,  stores  dest.,  233. 

Confederate  States  of  America,  or 
ganized,  483;  recognized  by  Eng., 
France,  and  Spain,  500;  resources 
exhausted,  558;  forces  remaining 
Apr.,  1865,  563;  conduct  of  people 
during  Civil  War,  583  •  restoration 
to  abandoned  rights,  598. 

Confederation,  articles  of  closer, 
adopted  by  the  U.  S.,  298 ;  charac 
ter  of,  299,  310. 

Conflicting  English  Grants,  83, 129. 

Congress,  of  northern  colonies,  169 ; 
first  Continental,  230,  236 ;  second 
Continental,  234,  235. 

Connecticut,  colony  formed,  96;  be 
comes  one  of  "  The  United  Colo 
nies  of  New  England,"  97 ;  receives 
land  and  new  charter  from  Charles 
II,  129;  included  in  grant  to  Duke 
of  York,  129;  under  Andros,  139; 
cedes  North-west  Territory,  298. 

Connecticut  River,  settlements,  88 ; 
banks  ravaged  by  British,  284. 

Conspiracy  of  Pontiac,  194. 

Constitution  of  the  U.S., proposed, 
317;  opinions  of,  318;  adoption  by 
states,  319 ;  text  of,  p.  363. 

Continental  army,  described,  238, 
N.,  241. 

Contreras,  battle  of,  452. 

Convention,  at  Albany,  178;  the 
Constituent,  313-319. 

Conway  Cabal,  268,  N. 

Cordilleras,  the,  13. 

Corinth,  battle  of,  512. 

Cornbury,  Lord,  214. 

Cornell  University,  640. 


(xxiv) 


Cor 


INDEX. 


End 


Cornplanter,  276,  x. 

Cornwallis,  Lord,  lays  waste  New 
Jersey,  258,  N.;  pursues  Wash.,  260 ; 
chases  Greene  arid  Morgan,  290; 
at  Guilford  Court-house,  291;  In 
trenches  himself  at  Yorktown,  302 ; 
surrenders,  304. 

Coronado,  42. 

Cortereal,  38. 

Cortez,  40. 

Cotton,  growing  introduced,  348,  N.; 
manufacture  of,  633. 

Cotton,  Rev.  John,  86,  N.;  88,  N.; 
198,  N. 

Courts  of  Admiralty,  estab.,  148. 

Covenanters,  in  N.  J.,  137,  N. 

Cowpens,  battle  of  the,  289. 

Creeks,  defeated,  384;  moved  west, 
406;  civilization  of,  408. 

Croghan,  Maj.,  376. 

Cromwell,  Oliver,  127,  N. 

Crown  Point,  fort  estab.,  165:  sur 
prised  by  Seth  Warner,  237. 

Crystal  Palace,  in  New  York,  469. 

Cuba,  colonized,  39;  attempt  to  ob 
tain,  472,  N. 

Culpepper,  Lord,  67,  69,  N. 

Cumberland,  sunk  by  Merrimac, 
516,  N. 

Custer,  Gen.,  death  of,  614. 

Cutler,  Dr.  Manasseh.  Ohio  pioneer, 
325,  N.;  Jarvis,  at  Marietta,  325,  N. 


gade,  Major,  massacred,  420. 
ahlgren,  Admiral,  besieges  Char 
leston,  560. 

Dakota,  organized  as  territory,  573. 

Dakotas,  in  Minnesota,  20. 

Danbury,  Conn.,  262,  N. 

Davis,  discovers  strait,  50. 

Davis,  Jefferson.  Pres.  of  Southern 
Confederacy,  483,  N.;  calls  for  vol 
unteers,  491 ;  authorizes  privateers, 
498 ;  abandons  Richmond,  565 ;  pris 
oner,  568;  suspected  complicity 
with  Booth,  571,  N. 

Dearborn,  Ft.,  capt.  by  Indians,  370. 

Dearborn,  Gen.,  374. 

De  Ay  lion,  40. 

Decatur,  Stephen,  burns  the  Phil 
adelphia,  360;  subdues  Barbary 
States,  397,  N. 

Declaration  of  Independence,  250, 
N.,  251 ;  text  of,  p.  360. 

Declaration  of  Rights  by  the  col 
onies,  221. 

De  Espejo,  48,  N. 

De  Gorgues,  46. 

De  Kalb,  Baron,  288. 

Delaware,  becomes  a  separate  col 
ony,  122 ;  refuses  to  secede,  490. 

Delaware,  Lord,  59. 

Delawares,  the,  183. 

Democratic  Party,  founded  by  Jef 
ferson,  333,  351 ;  principles  of,  351 ; 
in  power  forty  years,  432;  favor 
annexation  Texas,  440 ;  divided,  479. 


Department  of  the  Interior,  estab 
lished,  464. 

De  Sot9,  Hernando,  41,  N. 

D'Estaing,  Count,  arrives  with  fleet, 
273;  attempts  capt.  of  Savannah, 
285 ;  urges  France  to  send  troops  to 
America,  302,  N. 

Detroit,  fort  estab.,  165;  saved  from 
capture  by  Indians,  194;  surren 
dered  to  British,  370. 

Dieskau,  Baron,  defeated,  182. 

Dinwiddie,  Gov.,  sends  Washing 
ton  to  Venango,  176 ;  appoints 
Washington  to  command  a  mili 
tary  district,  319,  N. 

Dom  Pedro  II,  visits  U.  S.,  613. 

Donelson,  Ft.,  captured,  503,  504. 

Doniphan,  Col.,  captures  Chihua 
hua,  454. 

Donop,  Col.,  263,  N. 

Dorchester,  founded,  86. 

Dorchester  Heights,  fortified,  248. 

Dorr's  Rebellion,  437,  N. 

Douglas,  Stephen  A.,  introduces 
Kansas-Nebraska  Bill,  473,  N.;  nom 
inated  for  Pres.,  479. 

Drake,  Sir  Francis,  50,  N. 

Dred  Scott  case,  477,  N. 

Drummond,  Gen.,  at  Ft.  Erie,  389. 

Drummond,  Wm.,  first  gov.  of 
North  Carolina,  132. 

Dubuque,  founded,  461. 

Duke  of  Newcastle,  214. 

Du  Quesne,  Ft.,  built,  176 ;  seized  by 
French,  177;  Braddock's  attempt 
at  recapture,  180 ;  taken  by  Wash 
ington  and  name  changed,  188. 

Dustin,  Hannah,  exploit  of,  168,  N. 

Dutch,  explorations  in  America, 
104,  N.;  settlements  in  America, 
character  of,  107;  title  to  lands  in 
America  disputed  by  Eng.,  108; 
conquer  New  Sweden,  113;  discon 
tent  in  settlements,  114 ;  seized  by 
Eng.,  115:  recaptured  by  Dutch, 
117 ;  ceded  to  Eng.,  117. 

Dutch  East  India  Company,  com 
mission  Hudson,  104,  N. 

Dutch  West  India  Comp.  formed, 
106,  N.;  make  settlements  in  Amer 
ica,  107, 108. 


Early,  Gen.,inShenandoah  Valley, 
553. 

East  India  Company,  the  Dutch, 
commission  Hudson,  104,  N. 

Education,  in  United  States,  640. 

Edward,  Ft.,  built  by  Eng.,  182; 
abandoned  by  Americans,  264. 

Edwards,  Jonathan,  202;  grand 
father  of  Aaron  Burr,  350,  N. 

Electoral  College,  340,  N. 

Eliot,  John,  life  of,  100,  N.;  translates 
Bible,  101 ;  intercedes  for  Ind.,  102. 

Elizabeth,  Queen,  51,  N. 

Embargo  Act,  the,  365. 

Endicott,  John,  84,  N. 


(XXV) 


Eng 


INDEX. 


Gar 


England,  sends  explorers  to  Amer., 
37, 50, 51 ;  first  settlement  by,  56:  re 
ligious  differences  in,  74 ;  conflict 
ing  grants  of,  83,  129;  gains  New 
Netherlands,  115,  117;  civil  war 
in,  125-127;  revolution  in,  140;  ac 
quires  Canada,  193;  holds  Ameri 
can  posts  after  Rev.,  326,  330,  331 ; 
claims  right  of  search.  364,  367 ;  re 
sents  Trent  affair,  499;  infringes 
neutrality,  500;  suffers  by  the 
blockade,  587 ;  difficulties  with  am 
icably  settled,  599-601. 

English  Revolution,  140;  settles 
three  important  principles,  144. 

Eric,  the  Red,  6. 

Ericsson,  Capt.  John,  invents  the 
Monitor,  518,  N. 

Erie  Canal  opened,  411. 

Erie,  Ft.,  captured  by  Americans, 
387 ;  besieged  by  British,  389. 

Everett,  Edward,  nominated  for 
Vice-pres.,  479,  N. 

Ewell,  Gen.,  burns  Richmond,  566. 

Expedition  by  English  col.  against 
Mexico  and  West  Indies,  174, 


Fair  Oaks,  battle  of,  523. 

Faneuil  Hall,  227,  N. 

Farragut,  Admiral,  captures  New 
Orleans,  Baton  Rouge,  Natchez, 
514,  515;  in  Mobile  Bay,  560. 

Federalist,  the,  321,  N.;  366,  N. 

Federalist  Party,  founded,  333 ;  de 
feated,  350;  resist  War  of  1812,  390, 
392 ;  favor  protection,  398 ;  merged 
into  Whig  Party,  432. 

Fenwick,  John,  118. 

Field,  Cyrus  W.,  and  the  Atlantic 
Cable,  592,  N,  593. 

Filibusters,  472,  N. 

Fillmore,  Millard,  Pres.,  464,  N.;  can 
didate  for  Pres.,  476. 

Finisterre,  Cape,  limit  of  colonial 
trade,  128. 

First  American  cargo  to  Eng.,  213. 

First  American  journal,  149. 

First  book  written  in  America,  196. 

First  college  in  United  States.  87,  N. 

First  Continental  Congress,  230;  236. 

First  cotton-mill  in  U.  8.,  348,  633. 

First  election  held  under  the  Con 
stitution,  319. 

First  English  settlement,  56. 

First  law-making  body  in  America 
elected  by  the  people,  63. 

First  printing-press  in  U.  S.,  87,  N. 

First  publications  in  U.  S.,  87. 

First  settlement  in  America,  46. 

First  steamboat  in  America,  363; 
on  western  waters,  363. 

First  steamer  crosses  Atlantic,  403. 

First  steam  locomotive  in  U.  S.,  412. 

First  telegraph  in  U.  S.,  442. 

First  vessel  on  the  Great  Lakes,  158. 

First  written  constitution  framed 
in  America,  96. 


Fisher,  Ft.,  capt.  by  U.  S.  forces, 559. 

Fisheries,  on  Newfoundland  banks 
discov.,  43  ;  carried  on  by  Eng.,  51, 
54;  troubles  about  settled,  601. 

Five  Forks,  battle  of,  552,  N.;  564. 

Florida,  discov.,  39 ;  ceded  to  Eng., 
193 ;  to  the  U.  S.  by  Spain,  403 ;  ad 
mitted,  441 ;  secedes,  481 ;  eastern 
ports  seized  by  U.  S.,  528. 

Floyd,  Gen.  J.  B.,  in  W.  Va.,  492. 

Fontaine bleau,  treaty  of,  308,  N. 

Foote,  Commodore,  at  Fts.  Henry 
and  Donelson,  503,  N. 

Foreign  aid  to  America,  261,  269,  N.; 
273,  302,  N. 

Forts  of  the  French,  165. 

Fountain  of  Youth,  35,  39. 

Fox,  C.  J.,  271. 

Fox,  G.  V.,  in  the  Civil  War,  496,  N. 

France,  difficulties  with,  343-345, 425. 

Franciscan  Fathers  in  America,  155. 

Frankfort,  Ky.,  burial-place  of 
Boone,  243,  N. 

Franklin,  Benj.,  proposes  Union, 
178;  biography  of,  203-205,  N.;  sent 
as  commissioner  to  Paris,  270; 
commissioner  at  Versailles,  307,  N.; 
at  Constiutional  Convention,  315. 

Frederic,  the  Great,  269,  N. 

Fredericksburg,  battle  of,  527. 

Free  Soil  Party,  organized,  460. 

Free  trade,  advocated,  398. 

Freedmen's  Bureau,  estab.,  589. 

Freeman's  Farm,  battle  of,  265,  N. 

Fremont,  John  C.,  in  California,  455, 
456;  candidate  for  Pres.,  476,  N.;  at 
tempts  to  liberate  slaves,  529. 

French  and  Indian  War,  167, 179-194. 

French,  discov.  and  settlements,  43- 
47;  colonists  in  S.  C.,  134,  N.;  ex 
plorations  in  Miss.  Val.,  155-158;  on 
the  Gulf,  159,  160;  war  with  the 
Natchez,  163;  settlement  at  New 
Orleans,  162,  164;  forts,  165;  in 
Maine,  173 ;  expelled  from  Acadia, 
181 ;  Revolution,  effect  in  America, 
328,  329;  cable  laid,  593. 

Friends,  persecution  of,  99,  N.;  pur 
chase  N.  J.,  118;  settle  Perm,  and 
Del.,  119-122;  liberated  from  pris 
ons,  123;  records  concerning,  207. 

Frobisher,  50,  N. 

Frontenac,  Ft.  estab.,  165;  capt 
ured  by  Bradstreet,  188 

Fugitive  Slave  Law,  467. 

Fulton,  Robert,  363,  N. 

Fur  traders,  155, 157, 158,  443,  N. 

Gadsden  Purchase,  465. 

Gage.  Gen.,  sends  expedition  to  Con 
cord  and  Lexington,  232;  besieged 
in  Boston,  233,  N.;  superseded  by 
Howe,  240. 

Gallatin,  Albert,  Sec'y  of  Treasury, 
353,  N.;  pronounces  Hamilton's 
records  clear,  354. 

Gardiner's  Island,  213,  N. 


(xxvi) 


Gar 


INDEX. 


Her 


Garfield,  James  A.,  Pres.,  627,  N.  ; 
assassinated,  628. 

Garnett,  Gen.,  in  W.  Va.,  492. 

Gasp6e,    burned,  225,226. 

Gates,  Gen.  Horatio,  takes  com 
mand  in  the  North,  265,  N.;  plots 
against  Washington,  268,  N.;  de 
feated  at  Camden  and  succeeded 
by  Greene,  288,  N. 

Geary,  John  W.,  appointed  gov 
ernor  of  Kansas,  475,  N. 

Genet,  Edmond  Charles,  332,  N. 

George,  Lake,  scene  of  Abercrom- 
bie's  defeat,  186, 187. 

George  III,  219 ;  petitioned  by  col 
onists,  231 ;  employs  Hessians  and 
Indians,  244;  statue  of  pulled 
down,  251;  adjourns  parliament 
and  offers  pardon  to  colonies,  271. 

Georgia,  bestowed  on  Oglethorpe, 
150 ;  character  of  settlers,  151 ; 
slavery  introduced,  152 ;  war  with 
Spain,  153, 174 ;  sends  relief  to  Bos 
ton,  228;  becomes  royal  province, 
280;  cedes  western  lands  to  U.S.,  298 ; 
secedes,  481 ;  manufactures  of,  557. 

Germantown,  settled,  121;  battle 
of,  263,  N. 

Gerry,  Elbridge,  344,  N. 

Ghent,  Treaty  of,  393. 

Gila  River,  explored,  42. 

Gilbert,  Sir  Humphrey,  51. 

Gillmore,  Gen.,  at  Charleston,  560. 

Gist,  Christopher,  176.  N. 

Gladstone,  Wm.  E.,  318,  N. 

Gold,  discovered,  458. 

Goodyear,  Charles,  invents  vulcan 
ized  India  Rubber,  635. 

Gookin,  Daniel,  102. 

Gorges,  Sir  Ferdinando,  82. 

Gorges,  William,  83. 

Gosn9ld,  explorations  of,  54,  N.; 
carries  the  first  cargo  from  Amer 
ica  to  England,  213. 

Grand  Model  of  government  for 
Carolinas,  130, 131. 

Grangers,  the,  619. 

Grant,  Ulysses  S.,  captures  Ft.  Don- 
elson,  503,  504 ;  commands  dept.  of 
W.  Tenn.,  505;  at  Shiloh,  506,  507; 
at  luka  and  Corinth,  512 ;  supplies 
cut  off,  528;  commander  of  three 
western  departments,  543 ;  at  Look- 
out  Mountain  and  Missionary 
Ridge,  545,  546;  lieutenant-general, 
549 ;  at  battles  of  Wilderness,  550 ; 
Spottsylvania,  551 ;  besieges  Rich 
mond  and  Petersburg,  554;  cap 
tures  Richmond,  565,  566 ;  receives 
Lee's  surrender,  567;  Pres.,  596,  N.; 
re-elected,  604;  Indian  policy  of, 
605 ;  at  Centennial  Exposition,  613. 

Grasse,  Count  de,  302,  N. 

Gray,  Capt.  Robert,  443,  N. 

Great  Britain,  see  England. 

Great  Eastern,  lays  second  Atlantic 
Cable,  593. 

Great  Ireland,  8. 


Great  Lakes,  described,  18 ;  route  of 
fur  traders,  157 ;  first  vessel  on,  158. 

Greeley,  Horace,  nominated  for 
Pres.,  604,  N. 

Green  Mountain  Boys  capt.  Ticon- 
deroga  and  Crown  Point,  237,  N. 

Greene,  Gen.  Nathaniel,  succeeds 
Gates,  288,  N.;  pursued  by  Corn- 
wallis,  290;  at  Guilford  Court 
house  and  Eutaw  Springs,  291. 

Greenland,  6. 

Guadalupe  Hidalgo,  treaty  of,  457. 

Gustavus  Adolphus,  king,  plans 
settlements  in  America,  109,  N. 


Habits  of  colonial  times,  209-211. 

Haines's  Bluff,  captured,  538. 

Hale,  Capt.  Nathan .  hung  as  spy,  255. 

Hamilton,  Alexander,  at  the  Const. 
Conv.,  315 ;  on  the  Const.,  319 ;  Sec'y 
of  the  Treasury,  321-323,  x.;  leading 
Federalist,  333;  killed  by  Burr,  361. 

Hamilton,  Gov.,  offers  reward  for 
scalps,  277;  captured,  278. 

Hamlin,  Hannibal,  479. 

Hampton,  Gen.,  commands  on 
Lake  Champlaiii,  374. 

Hampton,  Gov.  Wade,  on  National 
troops  in  the  South,  617. 

Hancock,  John,  233,  N. 

Hancock,  Gen.  Winfield  S.,  627. 

Hardee,  Gen.,  abandons  Charles 
ton,  S.  C.,  562. 

Harper's  Ferry,  arsenal  seized  by 
Brown,  478 ;  burned,  490 ;  seized  by 
Jackson,  525. 

Harrison,  Gen.  W.  H.,  wins  battle 
of  Tippecanoe,  368 ;  commands  in 
the  West,  374-376;  wins  battle  of 
the  Thames,  383;  Pres.,  433;  death 
of,  434,  N. 

Hartford,  founded,  88;  unites  with 
Windsor  and  Wethersfield  to  found 
Connecticut,  96 ;  Dutch  settlers,  108 ; 
Federalist  Convention  held,  392. 

Harvard  College,  founded,  87,  N., 
149;  celebrates  accession  of  George 
III,  219 ;  degrees  to  women,  640. 

Hatteras  Inlet,  fort  on  capt.,  501. 

Hayes,  Rutherford  B.,  election  to 
Presidency  disputed,  615 ;  declared 
Pres.,  616 ;  withdraws  troops  from 
Southern  States,  617,  N.;  pledged 
to  Civil  Service  reform,  618 ;  vetoes 
bill  against  Burlingame  Treaty,  624. 

Hayne,  Robert,  416,  N. 

Hazen,  Gen.,  513. 

Henry,  Fort,  captured,  503. 

Henry,  Patrick,  introduces  Decla 
ration  of  Rights,  221 ;  at  the  first 
Continental  Congress,  230,  N.;  fits 
out  expedition  north-west  the 
Ohio  River,  277;  objects  to  "We, 
the  people,"  319,  N. 

Henry,  Prince,  the  Navigator,  30,  N. 

Henry  VII,  of  England,  37. 

Herkimer,  Gen.  Nicholas,  264,  N. 


(xxvii) 


Hes 


INDEX. 


Jam, 


Hessians,  employed  by  George  III, 
244 ;  locate  in  America,  266. 

Historians  of  colonial  times,  199. 

Hoe,  Richard,  invents  type-revolv 
ing  press,  63V. 

Holland,  sympathizes  with  Ameri 
can  colonies,  300. 

Holly  Springs,  seized  by  Van  Dorn, 
528. 

Hood,  Gen.,  supersedes  Johnston 
and  defeated  by  Sherman,  556 ;  de 
stroys  Atlafita,  557;  defeated  by 
Schofleld  and  Thomas,  558. 

Hooker,  Gen.  Joseph,  commands 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  532,  N.;  suc 
ceeded  by  Meade,  534 ;  at  Lookout 
Mountain,  544,  545. 

Hooker,  Rev.  Thomas,  88,  N.,  198. 

Horse-shoe  Bend,  battle  of,  384. 

House  of  Burgesses,  Va.,  see  Bur 
gesses,  council  of. 

Houston,  Gen.  Sam.,  440,  N. 

Howe,  Jr.,  Elias,  invents  sewing- 
machine,  636. 

Howe,  Lord  George  Augustus,  at 
Ticonderoga,  187. 

Howe,  Admiral  Richard,  arrives  at 
New  York,  252,  N.;  at  Newport, 
R.  I.,  273. 

Howe,  Gen.  Wm.,  at  Boston,  238, 
N.;  supersedes  Gage,  240 ;  evacuates 
Boston,  248;  encamps  at  Staten 
Island,  252;  takes  possession  of 
New  York,  255;  plan  of  for  1777, 
262;  enters  Philadelphia,  263,  N.; 
offers  bribes  to  American  soldiers, 
267  •  resigns  his  command,  272. 

Hubbardton,  battle  at,  264,  N. 

Hudson,  Henry,  104,  N. 

Hudson  Bay  territory,  transferred 
to  English,  173,  N. 

Hudson  River,  exp.,  104;  named, 
105 ;  banks  ravaged  by  British,  284. 

Huguenots  in  South  Carolina,  134,  N. 

Hull,  Capt.  Isaac,  captures  the  Guer- 
riere,  372,  N. 

Hull,  Gen.  Wm.,  invades  Canada, 
369 ;  surrenders,  370. 

Hutchinson,  Gov.,  removes  soldiers 
from  Boston,  222,  N. 

Hutchinson,  Mrs.  Anne,  93,  N. 


Iberville,  Lemoine  d',  160,  N. 

Iceland,  6. 

Idaho,  territory  formed,  444;  re 
ceives  organized  government,  573. 

Illinois,  first  settled,  156,  158,  N.; 
county  of,  organized,  278 ;  organ 
ized  as  separate  territory,  399 ;  ad 
mitted,  402. 

Immigration,  631. 

Impressment  of  seamen  by  En 
gland,  330,  331,  367,  368. 

Independence,  first  steps  toward, 
215-231 ;  Declaration  of,  250,  N.,  251 ; 
text,  p.  360. 

India  rubber,  vulcanized,  635. 


Indian  Company,  founded,  161,  N. 

Indian  Territory,  formed,  406. 

Indiana,  settled,  165;  admitted,  399. 

Indians,  first  location  of,  20;  river 
tribes,  21;  village  Indians,  22 ;  tribal 
divisions,  23;  the  Iroquois,  24; 
clans  and  sachems,  25 ;  religion,  26 ; 
customs,  27,  28;  appearance  and 
character,  29 ;  how  named,  34 ;  en 
slaved,  38,  40,  103,  163;  attack  Vir 
ginians,  64 ;  attack  New  Englarid- 
ers,  94,  102;  converted,  101,  173; 
attack  Dutch,  111;  form  a  treaty 
with  Penn,  120 :  attack  French,  163 ; 
Schnectady,  168;  Albernarle  and 
Pamlico  settlements,  172 ;  Ohio  set 
tlers,  183, 326 ;  massacre  at  Ft.  Wm. 
Henry,  184;  Pontiac's  conspiracy, 
194 ;  employed  by  British,  244 ;  rav 
age  Mohawk  Valley,  264,  N.;  mas 
sacre  at  Wyoming,  274;  at  Cherry 
Valley,  275 ;  treaties  of  1784-90,  311, 
312 ;  Jefferson's  policy  towards,  355 ; 
at  Tippecanoe,  368;  at  Ft.  Dear 
born,  370;  in  the  War  of  1812,  375, 
376, 383 ;  attack  Ft.  Mimms,  384 ;  re 
moved  west  of  Mississippi,  406; 
troubles  in  Illinois  and  Wisconsin, 
418 ;  in  Florida,  419,  420 ;  employed 
in  Civil  War,  508 ;  Grant's  policy 
towards,  605 ;  outbreak  in  Oregon, 
606 ;  in  Dakota,  Montana,  and  Wy 
oming,  614. 

Interior  basin  of  Cordilleras,  15. 

Inventions,  cotton-gin,  spinning- 
jenny,  steam-engine,  348;  vulcan 
ized  India  rubber,  635;  sewing- 
machine,  636;  agricultural  imple 
ments,  printing-press,  etc.,  637. 

Iowa,  admitted,  461. 

Iron-clad  Oath,  the,  591. 

Iroquois,  see  Six  Nations. 

Isabella,  Queen,  31,  34. 

Island  No.  10,  surrendered,  507. 

luka,  battle  of,  512. 

Jackson.  Andrew,  defeats  Creeks, 
384 ;  wins  battle  of  New  Orleans, 
394,  395 ;  governor  of  Florida,  403 ; 
Pres.,  414:  introduces  "system  of 
rotation,"  415,  N. 

Jackson,  *'  Stonewall,"  at  Bull  Run, 
493;  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley, 
522;  seizes  Harper's  Ferry,  525;  at 
Chancellorsville,  532,  N. 

James  I,  charters  London  and  Ply 
mouth  Companies,  552  N.;  makes 
Virginia  a  royal  province,  65 ;  re 
ligious  intolerance  of,  74 ;  conflict 
ing  grants  of,  83. 

James  II  becomes  king  and  liber 
ates  Quakers,  123;  sells  "Mon- 
mouth's  Rebels"  to  Virginia,  136; 
persecutes  the  Covenanters,  137; 
appoints  Andros  governor  and 
takes  away  colonial  charters,  138, 
139;  deposed,  140. 


(xxviiij 


Jam 


INDEX. 


Lin 


James  River,  named,  57 ;  shores  rav 
aged  by  British,  284. 

Jamestown,  settled,  57;  attacked 
by  Indians,  64. 

Japan,  treaty  with,  470. 

Japanese,  in  America,  625. 

Jasper,  Sergeant,  at  Ft.  Moultrie 
249,  N.;  killed  at  Savannah,  285. 

Jay,  John,  American  commissioner 
at  Versailles,  307,  N.;  on  the  Consti 
tution,  319,  N.;  chief -justice  of  the 
United  States,  321;  makes  treaty 
with  England,  331. 

Jefferson,  Ft.,  built,  279. 

Jefferson,  Thomas,  writes  Declara 
tion  of  Independence,  250 ;  Sec'y  of 
State,  321 ;  leading  Democrat,  333 ; 
Vice-pres.,  340;  Pres.,  350-353,  N.; 
has  Hamilton's  records  examined, 
354;  greatest  event  in  his  term, 
356 ;  re-elected  Pres.,  362 ;  opinion 
on  Embargo  Act,  365;  estimate  of 
Madison,  366,  N.;  makes  proposi 
tion  to  restrict-  slavery,  402 ;  death 
of,  413. 

Jesuit  Fathers  in  America,  47, 48,  N., 
155,  N. 

Johnson,  Andrew,  Vice-pres.,  581 ; 
Pres.,  572;  differences  with  Con 
gress,  589,  N.;  impeachment  of,  590. 

Johnson  family,  275,  N. 

Johnson,  Gen.  William,  builds  Ft. 
Wm.  Henry,  182;  receives  estate 
on  Mohawk,  275. 

Johnson,  Richard  M.,Vice-pres.,426. 

Johnston,  Gen.  A.  S.,  in  Civil  War, 
502,  N.,  506. 

Johnston,  Gen.  J.  E.,  commander- 
in-chief  of  Confederacy,  522;  at 
Fair  Oaks,  523 ;  chief  command  in 
Georgia,  550 ;  opposes  Sherman, 
555,  N.;  superseded  by  Hood,  556 ;  re 
instated  and  defeated  at  Averys- 
boro  and  Bentonville,  N.  C.,  563; 
surrenders  to  Sherman,  567,  N. 

Joint  High  Commission,  599,  616. 

Jones,  John  Paul,  283,  N. 

Kansas,  difficulties  in,  474, 475 ;  ad 
mitted,  482. 

Kansas-Nebraska  Bill,  473. 

Karlsefne,  Thorfinn,  9. 

Kaskaskia,  Ills.,  founded,  156. 

Kearny,  Gen.,  in  Mexican  War, 
447,  454. 

Kent,  Isle  of,  71. 

Kenton,  Kentucky  pioneer,  243. 

Kentucky,  settled,  243,  N.;  admitted, 
335;  refuses  to  secede,  490;  urged 
to  join  Confederacy,  510,  511. 

Key,  Francis  S.,  writes  "  Star  Span 
gled  Banner,"  386. 

Kidd,  Captain,  213,  N. 

Kieft,  gov.  of  New  Netherlands,  111. 

King  George's  War,  167,  174, 175. 

King  Philip's  War,  102,  103,  N. 

King  William's  War,  167-169. 


King's  College,  founded,  201. 
Kittanning,  destroyed,  183. 
Know-Nothing  party,  476. 
Knox,  Henry,  takes  possession  of 
New  York,  308,  N.;  Sec'y  of  War,  321. 
Knoxville,  battle  of,  547. 
Kosciusko,  in  America,  261,  N. 

Labrador,  discovered,  37. 

La  Fayette,  comes  to  Amer.,  261,  N.; 
at  Brandywine,  263,  N.;  at  Andrews 
court-martial,  295 ;  in  French 
Rev.,  328 ;  revisits  Amer.,  405. 

Lake  Champlain,  explored,  47. 

La  Salle's  explorations,  158.  N.,  159 ; 
basis  of  French  claims,  176. 

Laud,  Archbishop,  persecutes  the 
Puritans,  85,  N.;  88,  N.;  89,  N.;  198,  N. 

Laudonniere,  45,  N. 

Law,  John,  originates  "  Mississippi 
Scheme,"  161,  N.;  settles  Ark.,  162. 

Lawrence,  James,  biography,  377, 
N.;  captures  the  "Peacock,"  378; 
killed,  378. 

Lawrence,  Kansas,  burned,  475. 

League  formed  in  New  England,  97. 

Lecompton,  Convention,  474. 

Lee,  Arthur,  Comm.  to  Paris,  270,  N. 

Lee,  Charles,  at  Charleston,  249,  N.; 
taken  prisoner  and  exchanged,  257, 
262,  N.;  at  Monmouth,  272,  N. 

Lee,  Ft.,  captured,  256. 

Lee,  Henry,  captures  Jersey  City, 
282,  N.;  pronounces  Washington's 
funeral  oration,  319,  N.;  commands 
against  "  Whisky  Rebellion,"  327. 

Lee,  Richard  Henry,  offers  resolu 
tion  of  independence,  250,  N. 

Lee,  Robert  E.,  defeated  in  W.  Va., 
492;  invades  Maryland,  509,  525; 
commander-in-chief,523,  N.;  at  sec 
ond  Bull  Run  and  Chantilly,  524 ; 
South  Mountain,  525;  Antietam, 
526;  Gettysburg,  534,  535;  the  Wil 
derness,  550;  Spottsylvania,  551; 
force  remaining  Apr.,  '65, 563 ;  capt 
ures  Ft.  Steedman,  564;  abandons 
Richmond,  565 ;  surrenders,  567. 

Leif,  in  New  England,  7. 

Leisler,  death  of,  143. 

Lenni  Lenape,  make  treaty  with 
Penn,  120. 

Leopard  and  Chesapeake,  364. 

Lewis  and  Clarke's  Expedition, 
358,  N. 

Lexington,  battle  of,  232,  233,  N. 

Liberty  Bell,  250,  N. 

Lieber,  Dr.  Francis,  632. 

Lightning-rod,  invented  by  Frank 
lin,  2C5. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  Pres.,  480;  pol 
icy  of,  486,  487,  N.;  calls  for  volun 
teers,  491 ;  refuses  at  first  to  molest 
slavery,  529;  issues  emancipation 
proclamation,  530,  531;  re-elected, 
561 ;  second  inaugural  address,  569; 
death  of,  570,  571,  N. 


U.  S.  H.— 25. 


(xxix) 


Lin 


INDEX. 


Mis 


Lincoln,  Gen.,  sent  to  aid  Schuyler, 
263;  commands  in  South,  281,  N.; 
attempts  capture  of  Savannah,  285 ; 
surrenders  Charleston,  285;  re 
ceives  Cornwallis's  sword,  304. 

Literary  progress  of  the  colonies, 
149 ;  in  U.  S.,  643. 

Livingston,  Robert  R.,  administers 
oath  of  office  to  Washington,  320, 
N.;  aids  Fulton,  320,  N.,  363;  U.S. 
agent  in  purchasing  Louisiana, 
356,  357. 

Livingston,  William,  at  Constitu 
ent  Convention,  315,  N. 

Locke,  John,  draws  model  of  gov 
ernment  for  Carolinas,  130,  N. 

London  Company,  chartered,  55; 
laws  of,  61 ;  dissolved,  65. 

Long  Island,  battle  of,  253. 

Long  Island  Sound,  settlements,  89. 

Long  Parliament,  126. 

Longstreet,  Gen.  James,  at  Knox- 
ville,  547,  N. 

Lookout  Mountain,  battle  of,  545. 

Lpuis  XIV,  attempts  to  settle  Lou 
isiana,  159,  N. 

Louis  XV,  attempts  to  found  an 
empire  in  America,  161,  N.,  162. 

Louisburg,  capt.  by  Eng.  colonists, 
175,  N.;  colonists  and  regulars,  189. 

Louisiana,  named,  158;  founder  of, 
160,  N.;  ceded  to  Spain,  193;  ceded 
to  France  and  purchased  by  U.  S., 
356, 357 ;  partly  organized,  359 ;  state 
admitted,  383;  secedes,  481. 

Lowell,  Francis,  inventor,  633. 

Lundy's  Lane,  battle  of,  388,  N. 

Lynn,  founded,  86. 

McClellan,  Gen.  Geo.  B.,  victorious 
in  W.  Va.,  492;  commander-in- 
chief,  495,  N.;  at  Williamsburg,  521 ; 
Fair  Oaks,  523 ;  South  Mountain, 
525;  Antietam,  526;  relieved  of 
command,  526. 

McDonough,Commodore,at  Platts- 
burgh,  391,  N. 

McDougall,  Gen.,  in  command  at 
Peekskill,  262,  N. 

McDowell,  Gen.,  at  Bull  Run,  493 ; 
checked  by  Jackson,  522. 

McHenry,  Ft.,  bombarded,  386. 

Macomb,  Gen.,  at  Plattsb'gh,  391,  N. 

Madeiras,  discovered,  30. 

Madison,  James,  at  Const.Conv.,  315; 
on  Const.,  319;  leading  Democrat, 
333 ;  Sec'y  of  State,  353 ;  Pres.,  366,  N. 

Magellan,  38,  N. 

Mail  service,  extended,  146;  organ 
ized,  205;  present  state,  638. 

Maine,  coast  explored,  54;  colo 
nized,  82;  how  named,  82,  N.;  east 
ern  part  surrendered  to  Great 
Britain,  193;  admitted,  402. 

Manhattan  Island,  settled,  106. 

Manufactures,  colonial,  212:  of 
U.  S.,  348,  633-637. 


Marietta,  founded,  325,  N. 

Marion,  Gen.,  harasses  the  British, 
286,  N.;  as  a  host,  287. 

Marquette,  156,  N. 

Marshall,  John,  envoy  to  France, 
344,  N. 

Maryland,  colony  formed,  70  ;  royal 
province,  73 ;  agrees  to  Union,  298  ; 
cedes  land  for  a  national  capital, 
323 ;  ravaged  by  British,  385,  386 ; 
refuses  to  secede,  490 ;  invaded  by 
Lee,  509,  525 ;  by  Early,  553. 

Mason,  John,  grant  to,  82. 

Mason  and  Slidell  difficulty,  499, 500. 

Massachusetts  Bay  Colony,  coast 
explored,  54;  extended,  81,  82,140; 
royal  charter,  85 ;  laws  of,  86 ;  towns 
of,  86 ;  religious  intolerance  in,  90, 
91,  99;  new  laws  adopted,  96;  one 
of  "  United  Colonies  of  New  En 
gland,"  97 ;  state  cedes  N.  W.  Ter 
ritory  to  U.  S.,  298. 

Massacre  by  Indians  at  Ft.  Wm. 
Henry,  184 ;  at  Wyoming,  274 ;  at 
Cherry  Valley,  N.  Y.,  275 ;  at  Ft. 
Mimms,  384 ;  Wahoo  Swamp,  420. 

Massasoit,  treaty  with,  79. 

Matamoras,  captured,  4.46. 

Mather,  Cotton,  141,  N.,  198. 

Mather,  Increase,  198,  N. 

Maximilian,  in  Mexico,  588. 

Mayflower,  the,  77. 

Meade,  Gen.,  at  Gettysburg,  534,  N. 

Mecklenburg  Resolutions,  242. 

Meigs,  Col.,  at  Sag  Harbor,  262,  N. 

Meigs,  Ft.,  besieged,  376. 

Memphis,  ft.  established,  165:  capt 
ured  by  U.  S.,  508. 

Menendez,  Pedro,  46. 

Mercantile  system  adopted,  147. 

Mercer,  Ft.,  evacuated,  263,  N. 

Meridian  Raid,  the,  548. 

Merrimac  and  Monitor,  516-519,  N. 

Mexico,  city  of,  captured,  453. 

Mexico,  conquest  of,  40 ;  recognized 
by  U.  S.,  404 ;  wages  war  with  U.  S., 
446-457;  Maximilian  in,  588. 

Michigan,  settled,  156 ;  organized  as 
territory,  399;  admitted,  426;  forest 
fires  in,  602;  University  of,  640. 

Michillimackinac,  founded,  158. 

Miller,  Col.  James,  at  Lundy's  Lane, 
388,  N. 

Mimms,  Ft.,  massacre  of,  384. 

Ministers  of  early  New  Eng.,  198,  N. 

Mint,  established,  323. 

Minuit,  Peter,  110,  N. 

Minute-men,  organized,  231,  N. 

Mission  Indians,  48. 

Missionary  Ridge,  battle  of,  546. 

Mississippi,  settled  by  French,  160; 
admitted,  402;  secedes,  481. 

Mississippi  River,  disc,  by  De  Soto, 
41 ;  by  Marquette,  156 ;  navigation, 
secured  to  Americans,  334 ;  strug 
gle  for  possession  of,  502-515  ;  nav 
igation  of,  opened,  539. 

Mississippi  Scheme,  161,  N.,  162. 


(xxx) 


Mis 


INDEX. 


New 


Mississippi  Valley,  described,  17; 
explored  by  French,  155-158. 

Missouri,  admitted,  402 ;  refuses  to 
secede,  490 ;  field  of  Civil  War,  492. 

Missouri  Compromise,  402;  disre 
garded,  463,  473. 

Mitchell,  Col.,  at  Oswego.  387. 

Mobile,  Alabama,  settled,  160. 

Mohawk  Valley,  ravaged,  264,  N. 

Monmouth's  rebels,  in  Virginia,  136. 

Monroe,  Fortress,  held  by  Union 
forces,  485 ;  headquarters  Army  of 
Potomac,  520;  prison  of  Jefferson 
Davis,  568. 

Monroe,  James,  leading  Democrat, 
333;  agent  of  U.  S.  in  purchasing 
Louisiana,  356;  Pres.,  400,  N.;  re- 
elected,  404. 

Monroe  Doctrine,  the,  404. 

Montana,  organized  territory,  573. 

Montcalm,  captures  Ft.  Oswego,  183 ; 
destroys  Ft.  William  Henry,  184; 
defeats  Abercrombie,  187 ;  killed  at 
Quebec,  190-192,  N. 

Monterey,  captured,  448. 

Montezumas,  453,  N. 

Montgomery,  Ala.,  Confederate 
Convention  at,  483. 

Montgomery,  Gen.,  captures  Mon 
treal,  246,  N.;  killed  at  Quebec,  247. 

Montreal,  founded,  165;  conquest 
by  American  colonists  planned, 
169;  captured  by  English,  193;  by 
Montgomery,  246;  abandoned,  247. 

Moore,  Gov.,  attacks  Spanish  set 
tlements,  171. 

Morgan,  Gen.  Daniel,  aids  Schuy- 
ler,  263;  wins  battle  of  the  Cow- 
pens,  289,  N.;  pursued  by  Corn- 
wallis,  290. 

Morgan's  raid,  540. 

Mormons,  438,  439,  N. 

Morris,  Com.  360. 

Morris,  Lieut.,  516,  N. 

Morris,  Robt.,  at  Const.  Con v.,  315,  N. 

Morristown,  winter  at,  284. 

Moultrie,  Col.  William,  defends 
Charleston,  249,  N.;  recaptures  Port 
Royal,  S.  C.,  281. 

Moultrie,  Ft.,  named,  249,  N.;  evac 
uated  by  Anderson,  482. 

Mound  Builders,  2-5. 

Murfreesborough,  battle  of,  513 

Mutiny  during  Revolution,  297. 


Napoleon  Bonaparte,  friendly  to 
U.  S.,  345;  orders  mourning  for 
Washington,  346;  prophecy  con 
cerning  U.  S.,  357. 

Napoleon  III,  designs  on  Mex.,  588. 

Narragansett  Indians,  threaten 
war,  80;  receive  Roger  Williams, 
92 ;  refuse  to  make  war,  94,  95. 

Narvaez,  41. 

Natchez,  Miss.,  settled,  160, 165 ;  capt 
ured  by  Union  forces,  515. 

Natchez  Indians,  exterminated,  163. 


National  Bank  Bill,  vetoed,  435. 

National  debt,  577 ;  reduction  of,  626. 

Naval  battles:  the  Bon  Homme 
Richard  and  Serapis,  283  ;  bet.  Eng. 
and  French  at  Yorktown,  302; 
GuerriSre  and  Constitution,  372; 
Wasp  and  Frolic,  373 ;  Hornet  and 
Peacock,  378;  Chesapeake  and 
Shannon,  378 ;  Argus  and  Pelican, 
379 ;  Essex  and  British  ships,  379 ; 
of  Lake  Erie,  380-382 ;  United  States 
and  Macedonian,  397,  N.;  Alabama 
and  Kearsarge,  498 ;  on  the  Missis 
sippi,  508;  Monitor  and  Merrimac, 
516-519 ;  in  Mobile  Bay,  560. 

Navigation  Acts,  embarass  Ameri 
can  trade,  128 ;  renewed,  147. 

Navy  of  U.  S.  in  the  Rev.,  283,  N.;  in 
the  Civil  War,  496,  N. 

Nebraska,  admitted,  594. 

Necessity,  Ft.,  built,  177. 

Negroes,  introduced  in  America  as 
slaves,  62,  135,  N.;  confiscated  by 
Butler,  529 ;  take  part  in  the  Civil 
War,  531 ;  civil  rights  estab.,  589. 

Nevada,  ceded  to  U.  S.,  457;  be 
comes  a  state,  573. 

New  Amsterdam,  founded,  106; 
seized  by  Eng.  and  name  changed 
to  New  York,  115;  recaptured  by 
Dutch,  117;  ceded  to  England,  117. 

New  Brunswick,  ceded  to  Great 
Britain,  193. 

New  England,  suffers  in  War  of  1812, 
387 ;  oppose  the  war,  390,  392. 

New  France,  named ,  43;  father  of,  47. 

New  Hampshire,  settled,  82,  N.;  part 
of  Massachusetts,  140 ;  claims  Ver 
mont,  237,  N. 

New  Haven,  founded,  89.  N.;  laws 
of,  89 ;  one  of  "  United  Colonies  of 
New  England,"  97;  site  of  Yale 
College,  200. 

New  Jersey,  named,  116 ;  purchased 
by  Quakers,  118;  receives  the  Cov 
enanters,  137. 

New  Mexico,  settled,  48,  N.;  ceded  to 
U.  S.,  457. 

New  Netherlands,  named,  105 ;  char 
acter  of  inhabitants,  107 ;  discon 
tent  in,  114 ;  seized  by  Eng.,  115 ;  re 
captured,  117 ;  ceded  to  Eng.,  117. 

New  Orleans,  founded,  161,  N.,  162; 
growth  of,  164;  American  depot, 
334 ;  battle  of,  394,  395 ;  captured  by 
Union  forces,  514,  515. 

New  Sweden,  founded,  110,  N.;  con 
quered  by  the  Dutch,  113. 

New  York,  harbor  entered,  43 ;  city 
named,  115;  captured  by  Dutch, 
117;  ceded  to  Eng.,  117;  colony 
loses  its  charter,  138;  claims  Ver 
mont,  237,  N.;  city  seized  by  Brit., 
255;  state  cedes  N.  W.  Terr.,  298; 
city  evacuated  by  Brit.,  308;  Wash 
ington  inaugurated  as  Pres.,  320: 
riots  in,  533. 

Newcastle,  Duke  of,  214. 


(xxxi) 


New 


INDEX. 


Pin 


Newfoundland,  disc.,  37;  trans 
ferred  to  England.  173,  N. 

Newport,  Christopher,  56. 

Newport,  harbor  disc.,  43;  settle 
ment  founded,  93 ;  attack  upon,  273. 

Newspapers,  colonial,  201,  N. 

Niagara,  ft.  estab.,  165 ;  English  at 
tempt  to  capture,  182. 

Nicolls,  Richard,  gov.  of  N.  Y.,  117. 

Norfolk,  navy-yard  seized  by  Con 
federates,  490;  surrendered  to 
U.  S.,  519. 

Norridgewock,  settlement  of,  173. 

North  Carolina,  settled,  132 ;  discon 
tent  in,  223;  state  cedes  western 
lands  to  U.  S.,  298 ;  pays  for  use  of 
cotton-gin,  348,  N.;  coasts  ravaged 
by  British,  385 ;  secedes,  490. 

Northern  Pacific  B.  R.,  begun,  608. 

Northmen,  in  Iceland  and  Green 
land,  6;  in  New  England,  7. 

North-west  passage  attempted,  38, 
50,  N.,  104,  N. 

North-west  Territory,  see  Terri 
tory,  etc. 

Nova  Scotia,  ceded  to  Alexander, 
83 ;  to  Temple,  129 ;  ceded  to  Great 
Britain  by  France,  193 ;  see  Acadia. 

Officials,  English,  in  colonies,  214. 

Oglethorpe,  receives  Georgia,  150, 
N.;  lays  out  Savannah,  151 ;  forbids 
slavery  and  rum,  152 ;  besieges  St. 
Augustine  and  repels  Spanish  in 
vasion,  153, 174 ;  returns  to  Eng.,  154. 

Ohio,  settled,  325,  N.;  admitted,  349. 

Ohio  Company,  325,  N. 

Ohio  River,  discovered.  158,  N. 

Ohio  University,  established,  324. 

Ohio  Valley,  possession  disputed, 
176 ;  Indian  troubles  in,  183. 

Omnibus  Bill,  463,  N.;  excitement 
over,  467. 

Orange,  Ft.,  changed  to  Albany,  115. 

Ordinance  of  1787  passed,  324 ;  in 
fringed,  477,  N. 

Oregon,  explored,  358,  N.;  settled  and 
northern  boundary  fixed,  443,  444 ; 
territory  formed  and  state  ad 
mitted,  444. 

Oriskany,  battle  of,  264,  N. 

Orleans,  Territory  of,  organized,  359; 
included  in  Louisiana,  383. 

Osceola,  419,  420. 

Ostend  Manifesto,  472. 

Oswego,  Ft.,  capt.  by  Montcalm, 
183 ;  town  capt.  by  British,  387. 

Oxenstiern,  sends  emigrants  to 
America,  109. 


Pacific  coast,  explored,  50. 
Pacific  Ocean,  discovered,  39. 
Pacific  Railroad,  explorations  for, 

471;  completed,  597. 
Pakenham,  Gen.,  at  New  Orleans, 

394,  395. 


Palo  Alto,  battle  of,  446. 

Pamlico  Sound,  attacked,  172. 

Pamphlets,  colonial,  208. 

Panic,  of  Van  Buren's  term,  427- 
429 ;  of  1873,  608. 

Paoli,  Penn.,  attack  upon,  263,  N. 

Paper-making,  634. 

Paper  money,  issued  during  Rev., 
296;  in  Civil  War,  511,  577,  579; 
effects  of  latter,  607,  608. 

Paris,  treaty  of,  193. 

Parliament,  oppresses  the  colonies, 
144,  147,  148. 

Patrons  of  Husbandry,  619. 

Patroons,  107,  N. 

Pea  Ridge,  battle  of,  508. 

Peabody,  Geo.,  endowments  by,641. 

Peekskill,  N.Y.,  Brit,  raid  on, 262,  N. 

Pemberton,  Gen.,  at  Vicksburg,  538. 

Penn,  Wm.,  helps  purchase  New 
Jersey,  118,  N.;  obtains  grant  of 
Pennsylvania,  119 :  purchases  land 
from  Swedes  arid  founds  Philadel 
phia,  120 :  makes  treaty  with  In 
dians,  120 ;  grants  liberal  constitu 
tion,  121;  receives  Delaware,  122; 
releases  Quaker  prisoners,  123 ;  in 
gratitude  towards,  124 ;  draws  plan 
of  union  for  the  colonies,  146. 

Pennsylvania,  granted  to  Penn,  119 ; 
j  ust  laws  of,  121;  includes  Delaware, 
122 ;  recharters  Bank  of  U.  S.,  429 ; 
invaded  by  Lee,  534 ;  by  Early,  553. 

PepperelL  Col.  William,  175,  N. 

Pequod  War,  94,  95. 

Perry,  Capt.  O.  H.,  wins  battle  of 
Lake  Erie,  380-382,  N. 

Perry,  Com.  M.  C.,  in  Japan,  470. 

Perryville,  battle  of,  512. 

Personal  Liberty  Laws,  468. 

Peru,  conquered,  40. 

Petersburg,  Va.,  besieged,  554. 

Petition  sent  to  George  III,  231, 

Philadelphia,  Swedish  settlements 
near,  110;  founded,  1^0;  second 
Continental  Cong,  meets,  234 ;  capt. 
by  Howe,  263,  N.;  evacuated  by 
Brit.,  272 ;  Constituent  Conv.  meet. 
314  ;  site  of  Bank  of  U.  S.,  national 
mint,  and  national  capital,  323;  of 
Centennial  Exposition,  612. 

Philadelphia,  the  ship,  burned  by 
Decatur,  360. 

Physical  divisions  of  the  U.  S.,  19. 

Pickens,  Ft.,  485. 

Pickens,  Gen.,  286,  N. 

Picture-writing,  27. 

Pierce,  Franklin,  in  Mexican  War, 
453 ;  Pres.,  468 ;  biography  of,  473,  N. 

Pilgrims,  selected  to  found  colony. 
76;  sail  from  Eng.,  76,  77,  N.;  found 
Plymouth,  78,  N.;  hardships  of,  79- 
81 ;  religious  tolerance,  90. 

Pillow,  Ft.,  abandoned,  508. 

Pillow,  Gen.,  at  Contreras  and 
Churubusco,  452. 

Pinckney,  Charles  Cotes  worth,  en 
voy  and  minister  to  France,  344,  N. 


(xxxii) 


Pir 


INDEX. 


Ric 


Pirates,  in  colonial  times,  213;  of 
Barbary  States,  329,  335,  360,  397. 

Pitcher,  Molly,  272,  N. 

Pitt,  Wm.,  premier  of  Eng.,  185;  se 
lects  Wolfe  to  attack  Q,uebec,  192, 
N.;  biography,  219,  N.;  takes  part  of 
colonists,  229:  opinion  of  First 
Continental  Congress,  236. 

Pittsburgh,  site  of  fort,  170 ;  named, 
188 ;  riot  at,  621. 

Plains  of  Abraham,  190,  N.,  191. 

Plattsburgh,  battle  of,  391. 

Plots,  against  Washington,  265,  N., 
268,  N.;  to  make  Washington 
king,  310. 

Plymouth  Colony  founded,  78;  part 
o'f  Mass.,  81,  140;  becomes  one  of 
"  United  Colonies  of  New  Eng.,"  97. 

Plymouth  Company,  55. 

Pocahontas,  64,  N. 

Point  Comfort,  named,  57. 

Polk,  James  K.,  Pres.,  441 ;  biogra 
phy  of,  443,  N. 

Ponce  de  Leon,  39. 

Pontiac,  conspiracy  of,  194. 

Pope,  Gen.,  at  Cedar  Mountain,  sec 
ond  Bull  Run,  and  Chantilly,  524. 

Population  of  U.  S.  in  1880,  627. 

Port  Hudson,  held  by  Confederates, 
528 ;  surren.  to  Union  forces,  539. 

Port  Royal,  Nova  Scotia,  twice  capt 
ured  by  Massachusetts  volunteers 
and  named  Annapolis,  169. 

Port  Royal.  S.  C.,  named,  44 ;  capt 
ured  by  British  and  recaptured,  281; 
fort  captured  by  U.  S.,  501,  N. 

Porter,  Capt.  David,  com.  Essex,  379. 

Porter,  Com.  D.  D.,  assists  at  Ft. 
Fisher,  559,  N. 

Postal  service,  see  Mail  service. 

Potomac  River,  banks  ravaged  by 
British,  284. 

Powhatan,  64. 

Praying  Indians,  101 ;  persecuted 
by  whites,  102. 

Preble,  Com.  Edward,  blockades 
Tripoli,  360,  N. 

Prescott,  Col.,  at  Bunker  Hill,  238,  N. 

Prescott,  Gen.  (British),  257,  262,  N. 

Price,  Gen.,  in  Missouri,  508. 

Prince  Edward  Island,  capt.,  189. 

Princeton,  battle  of,  260,  N. 

Princeton  College,  founded,  201. 

Pring,  54. 

Printing-press,  87,  N.;  637. 

Printz,  gov.  of  New  Sweden,  110,  N. 

Privateers,  in  the  Rev.,  283,  315,  N.; 
in  the  War  of  1812, 373  ;  of  the  Con 
federate  States,  498. 

Proctor,  Gen.,  brutality  to  prison 
ers,  375 ;  defeated  at  Fts.  Meigs  arid 
Stephenson,  376;  at  battle  of  the 
Thames,  383. 

Providence,  founded,  92,  N. 

Public  education  in  N.W.  Terr.,  324. 

Public  improvements,  disputes  on, 


411 ;  during  Jackson's  term,  423. 
Public  schools  in  the  U.  S.,  642. 


Pu 


Pueblo,  captured,  451. 

Pueblos,  22,  42,  N. 

Pulaski,  aids  America, 261,  N.;  killed 
at  Savannah,  285. 

Pulaski,  P't.,528. 

Puritans,  origin  of,  74,75,  N.;  in  Hol 
land,  75,  76;  sail  for  America,  76; 
their  patent  invalid,  76;  found 
New  Haven,  89 ;  obtain  control  in 
England,  125;  see  Pilgrims. 

Putnam,  Israel,  233,  N. 

Quaker  guns,  520,  N. 

Quakers,  see  Friends. 

Quebec,  settled,  47-  conquest  of 
planned,  169,  N.;  description  of, 
190,  N.;  capt.  by  Wolfe,  190-192,  N.; 
French  attempt  recapture,  193;  be 
sieged  by  Montgomery,  247. 

Queen  Anne's  War,  167, 170-172. 

Railroads,  412;  Pacific  R.  R.  ex 
plorations,  471 ;  growth  of,  630. 

Railway  riots,  620. 

Raleigh,  N.  C.,  captured  by  Sher 
man,  563. 

Raleigh,  Sir  Walter,  51,  N.,  54. 

Rail,  Colonel,  259. 

Randolph,  Edmund,  Attorney-gen 
eral,  321,  N. 

Randolph,  John,  fights  duel  with 
Henry  Clay,  402,  N. 

Rasles,  Father,  killed,  173. 

Reconstruction  of  the  Southern 
States,  591,  598. 

Red  Jacket,  276,  N. 

Regulators,  in  North  Carolina,  223. 

Reign  of  Terror,  effect  in  Amer.,  329. 

Religion  of  Indians,  26. 

Religious  differences  in  Eng.,  74. 

Religious  intolerance  in  Massachu 
setts,  90,  91. 

Republican  or  Dem.  party,  333. 

Republican  party,  org.,  476,  590,  N. 

Resaca  de  la  Pal  ma,  battle  of,  446. 

Resolutions,  the  Mecklenburg,  242. 

Restrictions  on  colonial  industry, 
128, 147,  148,  224,  244. 

Resumption  of  specie  provided  for, 
611 ;  effected,  626. 

Revenue  Laws,  evaded  in  R.  I.,  225. 

Revere,  Paul,  232,  N. 

Revolution,  French,  effect  in  Amer 
ica,  3L8,  329. 

Revolution  in  England,  140 ;  settles 
three  great  principles,  144. 

Rhode  Island,  settled,  92,  93,  N.; 
charter  of,  98;  charter  lost,  139; 
smuggling  in,  225;  sends  no  dele 
gates  to  Constituent  Convention, 
314  ;  rebellion  in,  437,  N. 

Rhode  Island,  island  of,  purch'd,  93. 

Riall,  Gen.,  defeated  at  Chippewa, 
387 ;  capt.  at  Luudy  's  Lane,  388. 

Ribault,  44,  N. 

Richmond,  Ky.,  battle  of,  510. 


(xxxiii) 


Ric 


INDEX. 


She 


Richmond,  Va.,  settled,  66;  capital 
of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  493 ; 
threatened  by  Union  troops,  520, 
521;  relieved,  522,  528;  Grant's  ad 
vance  on  begun,  550;  outer  de 
fenses  captured,  552;  besieged  by 
Grant  and  cut  off  from  South, 
554;  captured  by  Gi-aiit,  565,  566; 
burned,  566. 

Riedesel,  Hessian  general,  266. 

Right  of  search,  claimed,  364,  367, 
368 ;  abandoned,  396. 

Ring  robberies,  610. 

Rio  Grande,  explored,  48;  claimed 
by  Texas  as  boundary,  445. 

Riots,  in  New  York,  533;  railway,  620. 

Roads,  in  colonial  times,  211. 

Roanoke  Island,  first  settlement, 
52;  second  settlement,  53,  N.;  re 
covered  by  Union  forces,  528. 

Robertson,  James,  pioneer,  223,  N. 

Rochambeau,  Count  de,  302,  N. 

Rolfe,  John,  64. 

Rosalie,  Fort,  160. 

Rosecrans,  Gen.,  at  Murfreesbor- 
ough,  513;  at  Chickamauga  River, 
543 ;  relieved  of  command,  543. 

Ross,  Gen.,  burns  Washington,  385, 
N.;  attacks  Baltimore,  386. 

Rotation  in  office  introduced,  415. 

Roxbury,  founded,  86. 

Royal  officials  in  the  colonies,  214. 

Russian  America  purchased,  594. 

Sachems,  25. 

Sacs  and  Foxes,  moved  west,  418. 

Sag  Harbor,  British  vessels  and 
stores  destroyed,  262,  N. 

St.  Augustine,  founded,  46;  be 
sieged  by  Oglethorpe,  153, 174. 

St.  Clair,  Gen.  Arthur,  at  Hubbard- 
ton,  264,  N.;  governor  of  N.  W.  Ter 
ritory,  325,  N.,  326. 

St.  Eustatius,  captured  by  British 
and  restored,  300. 

St.  Ignace,  Mich.,  established,  156. 

St.  John's,  Canada,  captured  by 
Montgomery,  246 ;  abandoned,  247. 

St.  John's  River,  settlement,  45. 

St.  Joseph's,  Mich.,  founded,  158. 

St.  Leger,  Col.,  264,  N. 

St.  Mary,  Mich.,  established,  156. 

Salem  Colony,  founded,  84,  N.;  city 
offers  wharves  to  Boston  mer 
chants,  228. 

Salem  witchcraft,  141,  N.,  142. 

Salt  Lake  City,  founded,  439. 

Samoset,  79. 

San  Antonio,  captured,  452. 

San  Francisco,  becomes  city,  459. 

San  Jacinto,  battle  of,  440,  N. 

San  Salvador,  discovered,  33. 

Sandys,  Geo.,  translates  Ovid,  197. 

Sanitary  Commissions  during  Civil 
War,  585,  586. 

Santa  Anna,  Gen.,  in  Mexican  War, 
449-453,  N. 


Santa  Fe",  founded,  48,  N.;  captured 
by  U.  S.  forces,  454. 

Saratoga,  first  battle  of,  265,  N.;  sec 
ond  battle  of,  266,  N.;  effect  of  vic 
tories,  270. 

Savannah,  founded,  151;  capt.  by 
British,  280;  attempt  at  recapture, 
285 ;  evacuated  by  British,  307 ;  oc 
cupied  by  Sherman,  559. 

Say,  Lord,  establishes  settlement  in 
America,  89. 

Saybrook,  Conn.,  founded,  89;  col 
lege  at,  200. 

Schenectady,  attacked  by  Ind.,  168. 

Schofield,  Gen.,  pursues  Hood,  558. 

Schurz,  Carl,  632. 

Schuyler,  Gen.,  246,  N.;  265,  N. 

Science,  in  the  colonies.  206 ;  in  the 
U.S.,  644. 

Scott,  Winfield,  prisoner  by  British, 
371,  N.;  at  Lundy's  Lane,  388;  in 
South  Carolina,  417;  in  Seminole 
War,  420;  on  Canadian  frontier,  431; 
in  Mexican  War,  447,  N.,  450-453; 
candidate  for  Pres.,  473,  N.;  retires 
from  active  service,  495. 

Secession,  right  claimed,  416 ;  of  the 
South,  481,  490 ;  inadmissable,  581. 

Second  Continental  Congress,  234- 
235;  abolish  "  colonial  system,"  250; 
commissions  La  Fayette,  261,  N.; 
removes  to  Lancaster,  263 ;  refuses 
to  receive  British  envoys,  271 ;  re 
turns  thanks  for  result  of  Rev., 
305;  pass  "Ordinance  of  1787,"  324. 

Sedition  Law,  342. 

Semi-centennial,  celebrated,  413. 

Seminole  War,  419,  420. 

Semmes,  Raphael,  498.  N. 

Separatists,  75,  76. 

Serapis,  captured  by  Jones,  283. 

Seven  Cities  of  Cibola,  42,  N. 

Sewall,  Justice,  142. 

Seward,  Wm.  H.,  on  duration  of 
Civil  War,  488,  N.;  attack  on,  570. 

Sewing-machine,  invented,  636. 

Shaftesbury,  Lord,  130. 

Sharpsburg,  battle  at,  526. 

Shenandoah  Valley,  operations  in, 
522,  532,  N.,  552,  553. 

Sheridan,  Gen.  Philip,  at  Murfrees- 
borough,  513 ;  at  Missionary  Ridge, 
546;  raid  in  Virginia,  552,  N.;  de 
feats  Early,  553;  at  Five  Forks,  552, 
N.,  564 ;  pursues  Lee,  567. 

Sherman,  Gen.W.  T.,  at  Shiloh,  506 ; 
at  Chattanooga,  544-546;  relieves 
Burnside,  547;  conducts  Meridian 
raid,  548  ;  chief  command  in  West, 
549;  advances  into  Georgia,  555; 
defeats  Hood,  556;  compels  de 
struction  of  Atlanta,  557 ;  march  to 
the  sea,  558,  JST.;  captures  Savannah, 
559;  Columbia,  S.  C.,  562;  defeats 
Johnston  at  Averysboro  and  Beii- 
tonville,  563;  captures  Raleigh, 
N.  C.,  563 :  receives  Johnston's  sur 
render,  567,  N. 


(xxxiv) 


Shi 


INDEX. 


Tel 


Shields,  Gen.,  in  Mexican  War,  453. 

Shiloh,  battle  of,  506,  507. 

Sigel,  Gen.,  in  Shenandoah  Valley, 
552. 

Sioux  War,  614. 

Sitka,  described,  594. 

Six  Nations,  24,  N.;  receive  the  Tus- 
caroras,  172 ;  allies  of  British,  275 ; 
overpowered  by  Americans,  276; 
treaty  with  U.  S.,  311. 

Sixth  Mass,  in  Baltimore,  491. 

Slater,  Samuel,  348,  633. 

Slavery,  introduced,  62 ;  in  Carolina, 
135,  N.;  trade  increased,  148,  N.;  im 
portation  stopped  in  Virginia,  251 ; 
prohibited  in  North-west  Ter.,  324, 
402;  subject  reviewed,  401;  lines 
drawn  by  Missouri  Coinp.,  402  ;  Gt. 
Britain  and  U.  S.  unite  to  suppress 

_trade,  436 ;  compromise  of  1850, 463  • 
-fugitive  slave  law,  467 ;  personal 
Hberty  laws,  468,  N.;  Dred  Scott 

— ^ease,  477,  N.;  unmolested  during 
first  of  Civil  War,  529 ;  Emancipa 
tion  Proclamation,  530,  531 ;  aban 
doned  by  the  South,  582. 

Sloughter,  Gov.,  authorizes  Leis- 
ler's  death,  143. 

Smith,  Capt.  John,  unjustly  impris 
oned,  56,  N.;  leader  at  Jamestown, 
58;  returns  to  Eug.,  59;  writes  first 
book  in  America,  196 ;  sends  map 
and  report  to  London  Comp.,  196. 

Smith,  Joseph,  founds  Mormon 
sect,  438,  N.;  killed,  439. 

Smith,  Kirby,  at  Bull  Run,  494;  in 
vades  Kentucky,  510,  511. 

Smith  College,  640. 

Smithson,  James,  founds  Smith 
sonian  Institution,  644. 

Snorri,  9. 

Somerset  Court-house,  N.  J.,  battle 
at,  262,  N. 

Sons  of  Liberty,  organized,  230. 

South  American  states,  recognized 
by  U.  S.,  404. 

South  Carolina,  visited  by  De 
Ayllon,  40 ;  settled  and  abandoned, 
44;  permanently  settled,  133,  N.; 
character  of  people,  134,  N.,  135; 
slavery  introduced,  135,  N.;  sends 
relief  to  Boston,  228 ;  cedes  western 
lands  to  U.  S.,  298 ;  pays  for  use  of 
cotton-gin,  348,  N.;  coasts  ravaged 
by  British,  385;  threatens  seces 
sion,  417 ;  secedes,  481. 

Southern  Confed.,  planned,  417; 
formed,  483;  see  Confed.  States. 

South-west  passage,  discov.,  38,  N. 

Spain,  explorers  of,  30, 31,  N.,  39-42,  N.; 
settlements  of,  46, 48,  N.;  at  war  with 
Eng.,  153, 174 ;  cedes  Florida  and  re 
ceives  Louisiana,  193;  opposes  col 
onists  in  the  Rev.,  299;  makes 
treaty  with  U.  S.,  334;  cedes  Lou 
isiana  to  France,  356:  cedes  Florida 
to  U.  S.,  403 ;  loses  American  pos 
sessions,  404. 


Specie  Circular,  Jackson's,  424. 

Specie  Resumption,  act  passed,  611 ; 
effected,  626. 

Speculations  in  Jackson's  time,  422. 

Spinning-jenny  invented,  348. 

Spottsylvania  Court-house,  551. 

Springfield,  Mass.,  founded,  88. 

Springfield,  N.  J.,  battle  at,  262,  N. 

Squatter  sovereignty,  462,  N.,  473,  N. 

Stamp  Act,  opposed  by  Pitt,  219,  N.; 
passed,  220;  repealed,  222. 

Standish,  Capt.  Miles,  78,  N. 

Stanton,  Edwin  M.,  590,  N. 

Stanwix,  Ft.,  treaty  at,  311. 

Star  of  the  West,  fired  upon,  482. 

Star  Spangled  Banner,  written,  386. 

Stark,  Gen.,  at  Bennington,  264,  N. 

Starving  Time,  the,  59. 

State  Rights,  argued,  409,  N.,  416. 

Steam-engine,  invented,  348. 

Steam  navigat'n,  introduced,  363,  N. 

Steedman,  Ft.,  capt.  by  Lee,  564. 

Stephens,  Alex.  H.,  483,  N. 

Stephenson,  Ft.,  attacked,  376. 

Steuben,  Baron,  enters  the  Amer 
ican  service,  269,  N.;  at  Andre's 
court-martial,  295. 

Still  water,  battle  of,  265,  N. 

Stirling,  Major-general,  253,  N. 

Stockton,  Com.,  in  Mex.  War,  456. 

Stony  Point,  recapture  of,  282,  N. 

Stuyvesant,  Peter,  appointed  gov., 
Ill,  N.;  makes  treaties  with  English 
and  Indians,  112;  conquers  New 
Sweden,  113 :  surrenders  New  Am 
sterdam  to  English,  115. 

Submarine  Telegraph  between  Eu 
rope  and  America,  592, 593. 

Sub-treasury  Law,  430. 

Sullivan,  Gen.  John,  253,  N. 

Sumter,  Ft.,  seized  by  Anderson, 
482,  485;  surren.  to  Confed.,  489; 
stars  and  stripes  raised  over,  570,  N. 

Sumter,  Gen.,  286,  N. 

Swedes,  in  America,  109;  buy  lands 
irom  Indians,  110,  N.;  overpowered 
by  the  Dutch,  113. 


Tampa  Bay,  discovered,  41. 

Taney,  Roger  Brooke,  477,  N. 

Tariff,  imposed,  398;  violent  discus 
sions  on,  416 ;  increased,  417. 

Taxing  colonies,  216,  217,  220,222,  227. 

Taylor,  Richard,  462,  N. 

Taylor,  Zachary,  in  Seminole  War, 
420 ;  in  the  Mexican  War,  445-449 ; 
Pres.,  462,  N.;  death  of,  464. 

Tea,  taxed,  227 ;  sent  home  by  New 
York  and  by  Philadelphia,  227; 
thrown  into  Boston  harbor,  227. 

Tecumseh,  defeated  at  Tippecanoe, 
368,  N.;  protects  prisoners,  375;  at 
tacks  forts  Meigs  and  Stephenson, 
376 ;  killed,  383. 

Telegraph,  introduced,  442;  growth 
of,  630. 

Telephone,  introduced,  630. 


(XXXV) 


Ten 


INDEX. 


War 


Tennessee,  settled,  165,  223,  N.;  ad 
mitted,  335 ;  secedes,  490. 

Tennessee,  the  Confederate  ram,  in 
Mobile  Bay,  560. 

Tenney,  Matthew,  516,  N. 

Tenure  of  Office  Bill,  passed,  589 ; 
infringed,  590. 

Territory  North-west  of  Ohio  River 
ceded  to  U.  S.,  298,  N.;  organized, 
324 ;  states  formed  from,  325,  N. 

Territory  of  Louisiana,  purchased, 
356,  357 ;  divided,  359. 

Territory  of  Orleans,  organized, 
359 ;  included  in  Louisiana,  383. 

Texas,  attempted  settlement  by 
French,  158,  N.,  159 ;  independent, 
440,  N.;  admitted,  441 ;  secedes,  481 ; 
last  of  seceded  states  to  resume 
seats  in  Congress,  598. 

Thames,  battle  of  the,  383. 

Thanksgiving  day  appointed,  570. 

Thomas,  Gen.  Geo.  H.,  saves  battle 
of  Chickamauga,  544.  N.;  at  Look 
out  Mountain,  545,  546;  destroys 
Hood's  army,  558. 

Thompson,  Gen.,  killed,  420. 

Thorfinn,  Karlsefne,  9. 

Ticonderoga,  Ft.,  attacked  by  Abe  r- 
crombie,  186 ;  surprised  by  Ethan 
Allen,  237;  surrendered  to  Bur- 
goyne,  264. 

Tilden,  Samuel  J.,  616. 

Tinicum  Island,  110,  N. 

Tippecanoe,  battle  of,  368. 

Tobacco  culture  introduced,  60. 

Topeka,  Kansas,  convention  at,  474. 

Tories,  denned,  248,  N.;  in  Mohawk 
Valley,  264,  N.;  plunder  South,  306. 

Trade,  Board  of,  145. 

Treaty,  of  Utrecht,  173,  N.;  of  Paris, 
193 ;  of  Versailles,  307,  N.;  at  Fon- 
tainebleau,  308,  N.;  Jay's,  331 ;  with 
Spain,  334;  with  Algiers,  335,  360; 
of  Ghent,  393;  with  Spain,  403; 
Webster  and  Ashburton,  436 ;  with 
Gt.  Britain,  443 ;  of  Guadalupe  Hi 
dalgo,  457 ;  with  Japan,  470 ;  with 
China,  595. 

Trent  Affair,  499,  500. 

Trenton,  battle  of,  259. 

Tripoli,  declares  war  on  U.  S.,  360 ; 
attacks  American  commerce,  397. 

True  Relation  of  Virginia,  first 
book  written  in  America.  196. 

Tryon,  gov.  of  North  Carolina,  223 ; 
attacks  Danbury,  Conn.,  262,  N. 

Twiggs,  Gen.,  in  Mexico,  452. 

Tybee  Island,  captured,  501. 

Tyler,  John,  Vice-pres.,  433;  Pres., 
434,  N. 

Union  of  colonies  planned,  146, 178. 
Union  of  states,  movement  toward, 

313;  effected,  319. 

United  Colonies  of  New  Eng.,  97. 
United    States   of    America,   first 

named,  250;  recognized  as  a  nation 


by  France,  270 ;  weak  government 
of,  296;  articles  of  closer  confeder 
ation  signed,  298;  condition  after 
Rev.,  309,  310 ;  movements  toward 
Union,  313;  assumes  war  debts  of 
the  states,  322;  capital  of,  323; 
foreign  opinions  of,  377;  unpre 
pared  for  Civil  War,  484 ;  condition 
at  end  of  1861,  501;  condition  in 
1880,  627 ;  progress  of,  629-645. 

University  of  Michigan,  640. 

University  of  Pennsylvania,  201. 

Utah,  organized  as  a  territory,  439 ; 
ceded  to  U.  S.,  457. 

Utrecht,  treaty  of,  173,  N. 

Valley  Forge,  267,  268,  315,  N. 

Van  Buren,  Martin,  Pres.,  426 ;  biog 
raphy,  427,  N. 

Van  Dorn,  Gen.,  at  Pea  Ridge,  508 ; 
captures  Holly  Springs,  528. 

Van  Kensselaer,  in  Canada,  371. 

Vasquez  de  Ayllon,  40. 

Vassar  College,  640. 

Venango,  Fort,  176,  N. 

Vera  Cruz,  captured,  450. 

Vermont,  possession  disputed,  237, 
N.;  admitted,  335. 

Verrazzano,  43. 

Versailles,  treaty  of,  307,  N.,  309. 

Vespucci,  Amerigo,  36,  N. 

Vicksburg,  held  by  Confederates, 
528;  siege  and  surrender  of,  536-538. 

Vincennes,  fort  established,  165. 

Virginia,  named,  52;  first  settled,  56, 
57;  condition  in  1625,  66;  ceded  to 
Cu  I  pepper  and  Arlington,  67;  re 
ceives  "  Monmouth's  rebels,"  136 ; 
attempts  to  repress  slave  trade, 
148;  stops  importation  of  slaves, 
251 ;  most  powerful  colony  in  1776, 
277;  publicly  thanks  Col.  Clark 
and  organizes  "County  of  Illinois," 
278 ;  cedes  N.  W.  Terr,  to  U.  S.,  298, 
N.;  calls  convention  of  states,  313 ; 
pays  Washington  for  his  service, 
319,  N.;  cedes  land  for  national  cap 
ital,  3&;  secedes,  490;  field  of  Civil 
War  in  East,  492. 

Virginia  City,  573. 

Volunteers  called  for  Civil  War,  491. 


Wadsworth,  Capt.,  139,  N. 

Wahoo  Swamp  massacre,  420. 

"Walker,  Fort,  captured,  501,  N. 

Walpole,  Sir  Robert,  214. 

"War,  bet.  French  and  Spanish  in 
America,  45,  46;  bet.  Algonquins 
and  Iroquois,  47 ;  Indian,  in  Va.,  64 ; 
Bacon's  Rebellion,  68,  69;  Clay- 
borne's  Rebellion,  71,  72;  Pequod, 
94,  95,  King  Philip's,  102,  103,  N.; 
Indian,  in  New  Netherlands,  111 ; 
Dutch  and  Swedes,  113;  Dutch  and 
Eng.,  115, 117 ;  Civil,  in  Eng.,  126, 127 ; 
Monmouth's  Rebellion,  136;  bet. 


(xxxvi) 


War 


INDEX. 


Yun 


Eng.  and  Spain,  153,  174;  French 
and  Natchez,  163 ;  King  William's, 
167-169 ;  Queen  Anne's,  167, 170-172 ; 
French  and  Eng.  in  Maine,  173; 
King  George's,  174, 175 ;  French  and 
Indian,  179-194 ;  Revolution,  215-308: 
with  Algiers,  360 ;  bet.  France  and 
Eng.,  364:  of  1812,  368-396;  Creek 
Indians,  384 ;  with  Barbary  States, 
397;  Seminoie,  419,  420;  with  Mex 
ico,  446-457 ;  Civil,  489-567  ;  results  of, 
574-588 ;  with  the  Modocs,  606 ;  with 
the  Sioux,  614. 

"Ward,  Gen.,  at  Boston,  238,  N. 

"Warner,  Seth,  captures  Crown 
Point,  237,  N.;  at  Bennington,  264. 

Warren,  Samuel,  spreads  alarm  of 
Brit,  expedition  to  Lex.,  232,  N.; 
order  to  arrest,  233,  N.;  killed,  240,  N. 

"Washington,  city  of,  site  selected, 
323 ;  seat  of  Gov.,  347 ;  burned  by 
Brit.,  385,  N.;  headquarters  of  seces 
sion,  484 ;  threatened  by  Confeder 
ates,  524,  525,  553. 

Washington,  Fort,  captured,  256. 

Washington,  Geo.,  sent  toVenango, 
176,  N.;  at  Ft.  Necessity,  177 ;  aid  to 
Braddock,  180 ;  capt.  Ft.  Du  Quesne, 
188;  cominander-in-chief,  235;  at 
Boston,  241 ;  compels  Brit,  to  evac 
uate  Boston, 248 ;  at  New  York,  248 ; 
Long  Island,  253, 254 ;  White  Plains, 
255;  Trenton,  259;  made  dictator, 
260;  at  Princeton,  260,  N.;  Brandy- 
wine  and  Germantown,  263,  N.;Val- 
ley  Forge,  268,  N.;  Monmouth,  272, 
N.;  Morristown,  284 ;  reprimands 
Arnold,  293;  at  Yorktown,  302-304  ; 
disbands  army,  307;  farewell  to  j 
comrades,  308,  N.;  proposed  as  king, 
310 ;  pres.  of  Constituent  Conv.,  315 ; 
elected  Pres.,  319;  biography,  319,  N.; 
inaugurated,  320 ;  cabinet  of,  321 ; 
selects  site  of  capital,  323;  threat 
ened  with  impeachment,  331,  N.; 
opposes  war  against  England,  332 ; 
leader  of  Federalists,  333 ;  declines 
third  term,  336;  result  of  adminis 
tration,  336,  339 ;  plea  for  union,  337 ; 
life  as  Pres.,  338 ;  death,  319,  N.,  346. 

Washington,  William  A.,  289,  N. 

Washington  and  Lee  Univ.,  319,  N. 

Washington  Territory,  formed,  444. 

Watertown,  founded,  86. 

Watt,  James,  inv.  steam  engine,  348. 

Way  to  Wealth,  by  Franklin,  204. 

Wayne,  Gen.  Anthony,  at  Paoli, 
Penn.,  263,  N.;  at  Germantown,  263, 
N.;  recaptures  Stony  Point,  282,  N.; 
defeats  savages  in  Ohio,  326. 

Weather  Department,  639. 

"Webster,  Daniel,  on  "  Liberty  and 
Union,"  416,  N.;  effects  treaty  with 
Eng.,  436  ;  on  "  Omnibus  Bill,"  463 ; 
Sec'y  of  State,  464 ;  death  of,  466. 

Webster  and  Ashburton  treaty,  436. 

Weldon  Railroad,  seized,  554. 

Wellesley  College,  640. 


Wesleys,  John  and  Charles,  152,  N. 

West  India  Company,  the  Dutch, 
formed,  106,  N.;  make  settlements 
in  America,  107,  108. 

West  Virginia,  separate  state,  492. 

Western  Reserve,  129,  298. 

Wethersfield,  Conn.,  founded,  88; 
unites  with  Windsor  and  Hart 
ford,  96 ;  college  at,  200. 

Weymouth,  54. 

Whig  party,  established,  432 ;  oppose 
annexation  of  Texas,  440. 

Whisky  Rebellion,  327. 

White  Plains,  battle  of,  255. 

Whitefleld,  visits  America,  152,  N. 

White-man's  land,  8. 

Whitney,  Eli,  inv.  cotton-gin,  348,  N. 

Wilderness,  battles  of,  550. 

Wilkes,  Capt.,  seizes  Mason  and 
Slidell,  499,  500. 

Wilkinson,  Gen.  James,  defeats 
Burr's  plans,  362,  N. 

Willamette  Valley,  settled,  444. 

William  and  Mary  grant  new  char 
ter  to  New  Eng.  colonies,  140,  N.; 
recognized  as  rulers  by  col.,  143. 

William  and  Mary  College,  149,  201. 

William  Henry,  Fort,  built,  182;  de 
molished,  184. 

Williams,  Roger,  hist.,  92,  N.;  exiled 
and  founds  Providence,  92 ;  pacifies 
Narragansetts,  94 ;  obtains  charter 
for  Rhode  Island,  98. 

Williamsburg.Va.,  founded,  66 ;  site 
of  college,  201 ;  battle  of,  521. 

Wilmington,  N.  C.,  captured,  559. 

Wilmot,  David, "  Proviso  "  of,  460,  N. 

Windsor,  Conn.,  founded,  88;  joins 
Hartford  and  Wethersfield,  96. 

Wingfield,  56,  58. 

Winnebagoes,  moved  west,  418. 

Winthrop,  John,  gov.  of  Massachu 
setts  Bay,  85;  journal  of,  199. 

Winthrop,  Jr.,  John,  establishes 
Saybrook,  89, 199. 

Wisconsin,  included  in  "  Territory 
of  Illinois,"  399;  admitted,  461; 
forest  fires  in,  602. 

"Witchcraft,  in  Pennsylvania,  121; 
in  Massachusetts,  141,  N.,  142. 

Wolfe,  Gen.,  at  Quebec,  190-192,  N. 

Wonders  of  the  Invisible  World,  by 
Cotton  Mather,  141,  N. 

Woolman,  John,  207. 

Worth,  Gen.,  at  San  Antonio,  452. 

"Wyoming,  Pa.,  massacre  at,  274. 

Wyoming  Territory,  organized,  594. 

Yale,  Elihu,  200. 

Yale  College,  149,  200,  640. 

York,  Duke  of,  becomes  James  II, 

123, 136. 
Yorktown,  besieged  by  Wash.,  302- 

304 ;  abandoned  by  Con  fed.,  520. 
Young,  Brigham,  439,  N. 
Yukon  River,  described,  594. 
Yung  Wing,  Chinese  minister,  625. 


(xxxvii) 


PRONOUNCING  VOCABULARY. 


KEY  TO  VOWELS. — a,  e,  I,  o,  u,  long;  a,  e,  i,  6,  ii,  y,  short]  &,  g, 
i,  o,  obscure;  far,  last,  fall,  what;  there,  veil,  term;  for,  food, 
foot ;  furl,  rude ;  e  nearly  as  e  in  met,  but  more  prolonged ;  ee,  as  i 
before  r  in  spirit ;  ii,  French  u,  combining  sounds  of  oo  awe?  e. 

CONSONANTS. — 9  as  s ;  gas  j;  g  as  in  get ;  n  as  in  linger,  link ; 
ii  combines  sounds  of  n  and  y ;  th  as  in  thine. 

SMALL  CAPITALS. — D,  as  th  in  this;  G  awe?  K  as  German  ch ;  H, 
similar  to  the  preceding,  but  more  resembling  a  strongly  aspirated  h ; 
N,  nasal,  resembling  ng  in  long;  R,  strongly  trilled  r;  u,  repre 
sents  the  French  eu,  nearly  like  u  m  fur. 


ABERCROMBIE,  aVer-krum-bi. 
AGASSIZ,  agxa-see  or  axgaxsef. 
ALGIERS,  al-gerzx. 
AMERIGE,  a-rner'i-ge. 
ANDRE,  anxdra. 
ANTIETAM,  an-te'tam. 
AUGSBURG,  owGsxbot)RG. 
AZORES,  a-zorz7. 
BALBOA,    VASCO   NUNEZ,    DE, 

vaVko  noonxyeth  da  bal-bo7^. 
BARBADOES,  bar-baxdoz. 
BATON  ROUGE,  batxun  roozh. 
BEAUREGARD,  bofreh-gardx. 
BIENVILLE,  be/aN/vel'. 
BILOXI,  be-loks7!. 
BOLEYN,  bobFih. 
BON  HOMME  RICHARD,  bo  nom 

re^har'. 
BORGNE,  born. 
BOULOGNE,  boo-lon7 
BOWDOIN,  boMgn. 
BRETON,  britxt'n. 
BROUAGE,  broo^zh'. 
BUENA  VISTA,  bwa/na  vis'ta. 
BURGOYNE,  bur-goinx. 
BURLINGAME,  burning-gam. 
CABOT,  kabxot. 
CABRAL,  ka-braF. 
CANONCHET,  k^-non^het. 
CANONICUS,  ka-uon^-kua. 
CARIBBEAN, 


CARILLON,  ka^ 
CARTERET,  kar/ter-et. 
CARTHAGENA,  kaVta-je'na. 
CARTIER,  JACQUES,  zhak  kaR7- 

tyaf. 

CASTILE,  kas-teeF. 
CAYUGA,  ka-yoo^. 
CERRO  GORDO,  sgRxRo  goRxdo. 
CHAMPLAIN,  sham-plan7. 
CHAN  TILLY,  shan-tiFlee. 
CHAPULTEPEC,  cha-pool-ta-pek7. 
CHATHAM,  cha^am. 
CHIHUAHUA,  che-waxwa. 
CHOISEUL,  shwa^uF. 
CHOPART,  sho/paBf. 
CHURUBUSCO,  choo-roo-boos/ko. 
CIBOLA,  sexbo-la. 
CINCINNATI  (the  society),  sin- 

sin-na^i. 

COCKBURN,  koxburn. 
COLIGNY,  GASPARD  DE,  gasxpar 

deh  ko-leen^e. 
COLUMBIA  REDIVIVA,  ko-lumx- 

bi-a  re-di-vFva. 
CONANT,  ko^ant. 
CONTRERAS,  kon-traxras. 
CORDILLERAS,  kor-diFler-as. 
CORONADO,  ko-ro-naxDo. 
CORTEREAL,  koR-ta-ra-aF. 
CORTEZ,  korxtgz. 
CREVECCEUR,  kraVkuR'. 


(xxxviiij 


PR ONO  UNCING    VO CAB  ULAR  Y. 


DAHLGREN,  dalxgren. 

DARIEN,  da-re-en7. 

DE  AYLLON,  VASQUEZ,  vasxketh 

da  ll-yonx. 
DEESPEJO,  ANTONIO,  an-toxne-o 

da  es-paxHo. 
DE  GOURGUES,  DOMINIQUE  dox- 

mexnekf  deh  gooRg. 
DE  MONTS,  deh  m6Nx. 
DE  SOTO,  HERNANDO,  SR-nan'- 

do  da  so7!!). 
D'ESTAING,  desxtaNf. 
DIAZ,  deexath. 
DIEGO,  de-axgo. 
DIESKAU,  deesxkow. 
DUBUQUE,  du-bookx. 
DULUTH,  du-loothx. 
Du  QUESNE,  dii  kanx. 
EDINBURGH,  ed'in-bur-ruh. 
EFFINGHAM,  efxfing-ham. 
ERIC,  erxik. 
ERICSSON,  erxik-son. 
ESQUIMAUX,  es'kl-moz. 
EsTREMADURA,es-tra-ma-Dooxra. 
FANEUIL,  fanxel  or  funxel. 
FINISTERRE,  fin-is-terx. 

FONTAINEBLEAU,     foNxtanxblof. 

FREDERICA,  fred-er-ikxa. 
FROBISHER.  frobxish-§r. 
FRONTENAC,  fronxte-nak. 
GALLATIN,  galxa-tm. 
GASPEE,  gasxpaf? 
GENET,  zheh-nax. 
GENOA,  genxo-Q,. 
GERRY,  gerxi. 
GHENT,  geut. 
GILA,  Hexla. 
GORGES,  gorxjez. 
GRAND  PRE,  groN  pra. 
GRASSE,  DE,  d§h  gras. 
GUADALUPE  HIDALGO,  gwa-da- 

looxpa  he-dalxgo. 
GUATEMALA,  gawxte-mafla. 
GUERNSEY,  gernxze. 
GUERRIERE,  gaRxrexarf. 
HAVERHILL,  haxver-il. 
HAYTI,  haxti. 

HEIDELBERG,  hi'd§l-beRGx. 
HINGHAM, 


HISPANIOLA,  his-pan-i-oxlg,. 
HOUSATONIC,  hooxsa-tonfik. 
HOUSTON,  huxston. 
HUGUENOTS,  huxge-nots. 
IBERVILLE,    LEMOINE   D',    Igh- 

mwanx  dex-beRxveelf. 
IROQUOIS,  ir-o-kwoyx. 
JOLIET,  Louis,  looxef  zhoxle-af. 
JUMEL,  zhuxmelf. 
KARLSEFNE,  THORFINN,  to^fin 

karlxsef-ne. 
KEARNY,  karxm. 
KEARSARGE,  kerxsarg. 
KIEFT,  keft. 
KIRCHEIM,  keeRKxhim. 
KITTANNING,  kit-tanxning. 
KOSCIUSKO,  kos-si-usxko. 
KUNNERSDORF,    koofners-doRfx. 
LA  FAYETTE,  DE,  deh  laxfaxyetf. 
LANCASHIRE,  lankx^-shir. 
LA  SALLE,  laxsalf. 
LAUDONNIERE,  loxdoxne-eR'. 
LEIF,  lif. 
LEISLER,  lisxler. 

LENNI  LENAPE,  lenxni  lenxape. 
LINNAEUS,  lin-neexus. 

LOUIS  LE  GRAND,loOxef  leh  gRO»N 

LOYOLA,  IGNATIUS,  DE,  ig-nax- 

shi-us  da  loi-oxla  or  lo-yoxla. 
MACiEJOWiCE,mats-ya-o-veet'sa. 
MACOMB,  ma-koomx. 
MAGNUSSON,   FINN,   fin  mag'- 

ndbsxon. 

MARQUETTE,  maRxketf. 
MASSASOIT,  masxsas-soit. 
MATHER,  rnathxer. 
MAUREPAS,  moRxpaf. 
MAXIMILIAN,  maks-i-m!lxyan. 
MEIGS,  megz. 
MENENDEZ,  PEDRO,  peexdro  or 

paxdro  ma-nenxdeth. 
MICHILLIMACKINAC,    mishxil-e- 

makfin-aw. 

MINNITAREES,  minxni-tafrez. 
MINUIT,  minxu-it. 

MONTCALM    DE    SAINT- VERAN, 

Louis  JOSEPH  DE,  looV  zhof- 
zefx  deh  moN^alm'  dgh  saNx- 
vaxr6Nf. 


(xxxix) 


PR ONO  UNCING    VO CAB  ULAR  Y. 


MONTEREY,  mon-ta-rax. 
MONTEZUMAS,  monxte-zufmaz. 
MOULTRIE,  mooxtrl. 
MUSCOVY,  musxko-vy. 
NARVAEZ,  naR-vaxeth. 
NAUMKEAG,  nowm-ke-agx. 
NIZA,    MARCO   DI,    maRxko   de 

nedxza. 

NUECES,  nwaxses. 
OGLETHORPE,  oxg'l-thorp. 
O  JEDA,  ALONZO  DE,  a-lonxtho  da 

o-HaxDa. 
ONATE,  JUAN   DE,  Hoo-anx  da 

on-yaxta. 

ONONDAGA,  onxun-dawfg^. 
ORISKANY,  o-rls'ka-ny. 
OSAWATOMIE,  os/a-wat/o-me. 
OVID,  ov'id. 

OXENSTIERN,  6ksfen-steernx. 
PALO  ALTO,  paxlo  alxto. 
PALOS,  paxlo9e. 
PARIA,  paxre-a. 
PASCUA      FLORIDA,      pasxcu-a 

floxri-da. 

PASHA,  pa-shax  or  paxsha. 
PA  VIA,  pa-veexa. 
PHILIPPINE,  filxip-pin. 
PHOENICIAN,  fe-mshxan. 
PIZARRO,  pe-zarxo  or  pe-tharxo. 
PONCE   DE   LEON,   pon^ha   da 

la-onf. 
POUTRINCOURT,  pooxtraNxkooRf. 

POWHATTAN,  pOW-h^t-tailx. 

PRAGUE,  prag. 

PRESQUE  ISLE,  presk  eel. 

PUEBLO,  pwebxlo. 

PULASKI,  pu-lasxkee. 

QUINNIPIAC,  quinxni-pi-akf. 

RAPHOE,  ra-fox. 

RASLP:S,  rahl. 

RESACA  DE  LA  PALMA,  ra-saxka 

da  la  palxma. 
RIBAULT,  rexbo'. 
RIEDESEL,  reexdeh-zel. 
Rio  CHACO,  reexo  chaxko. 
Rio  GRANDE,  rixo  grand. 

ROCHAMBEAU,       DE,      dgh       rOx- 


ROSECRANS,  ro^e-kranss. 
ROUEN,  roo/gn  or  rwoN. 
SACO,  saw/ko. 
ST.    AUGUSTINE,    sent   aw^us- 

teen7. 

ST.  CROIX,  sgnt  kroi. 
ST.  IGNACE,  saNt  een^ass'. 
SAN  FELIPE,  san  Hi-lee^a. 
SAN   JOAQUIN,  san  no-a-keen7. 
SAN  JUAN  DE  ULLOA,  san  juxan 

or  san  hwan  da  oo-loxa. 
SAN  MIGUEL,  san  me-geT. 
SANTA  ANNA,  ANTONIO  LOPEZ 

DE,     an-toxne-o     loxpeth     da 

san/ta  a^na. 
SANTA  FE,  sanxta  fa. 
SCHURZ,  shoorts. 
SEWALL,  su^l. 
SnosHONES1;  sho-sho^ez. 
SIERRA  LEONE,  se-eR^a  la-oxna. 
SIERRA  NEVADA,  se-eR^Ra  na- 

va^a. 

SIGEL,  seexggl. 
Sioux,  soo  or  se-oo'. 
SLOUGHTEB,  slo/ter. 
STETEFELDT,  statxfelt. 
STEUBEN,  st^ben  or  stoi^ben. 
STRACHEY,  straxke. 
THIBODEAUX,  tibVdo'. 
THORWALDSEN,    to^wawld-sgn 

or  toR/val-zen. 

TICONDEROGA,  tl-konMer-o'ga. 
VACA,   CABEZA   DE,    ka-ba^tha 

da  va^a. 
VAN   RENSSELAER,     van   renx 


ROCHEFOUCAULD, 


VERA  CRUZ,  vaxra  kroos. 
VERGENNES,  veRxzhenf. 
VERMELAND,  vern/land. 
VERRAZZANO,  ver-a-za^o. 
VERSAILLES,  ver-salzx. 
VESPUCCI,  AMERIGO,  a-ma-ree7- 

go  ves-pootxchee. 
VINLAND,  vinxland. 
WAHOO,  wah-hoo7. 
WHITEFIELD,  hwi^feeld. 
WYOMING,  wyVming. 
YEARDLEY,  yeerdxli. 
ZUNI,  zoonxyee. 


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